The Healing Path
by Toony-Tornado
Summary: A heart still broken from the loss of a loved one, a journey of self healing around in the universe of Disney is soon taken...This is a tribute made to a most treasured family member, and if you're not one for self-insert stories that have a rather Kingdom Hearts feel to it, you might not enjoy this one all that well.
1. Watched

**Hey all, it's Toony-Tornado back on FF.**

 **Holy flipping muffins with chocolate chips, I seriously think it had been about 2 years since I was last on, I can't even remember how long it's been since I've written a fanfiction chapter for this place... _geeze_...**

 **I hope to change that and get the stories that I have worked on again as I start with this, 'The Healing Path'**

 **It's a "Disney" fanfiction that I started writing this in January on the first year anniversary of my Grandmothers passing...and I wanted to post it before the year was up.**

 **Growing up, she had always been a big part of my life, always there, always caring and looking out for me, she was my role model and my best friend and I wanted to make this not only as a tribute, but also as a kind of outlet for the hurt and the loss I still feel in my heart now that she's no longer with me.**

 **I don't expect anyone to pay too much attention to this, and I'll warn you right here and right now, if you're someone who's not a big fan of self healing, angsty, self insert stories that have a bit of a "Kingdom Hearts" feel to it, then you might not enjoy this very much.**

 **Well, here we go then...**

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 _Chapter 1: Watched_

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A year...

A whole _year_ had passed since that sad day...a whole year she had to spend without her; A first Easter, a first birthday, a first Christmas...she had to go through every event and every celebration without one of the only faces she had always looked forward to seeing most... her grandmothers.

In life, her grandmother was closer to her than anyone else in her family, and she always held a most special place in her heart. This woman was her confidant, her guiding hand, her disciplinarian if she ever stepped too far over the line...and her very best, most truest friend in the world; If she was being honest, it didn't feel like it just one year had gone by...it almost felt like a lifetime.

But, she supposed the more a person was loved, the longer the time seemed to drag on once they were no longer there.

So here she was this twenty-ninth of January...a year later to the day, and she was unable to at least bring her grandmothers favorite flowers to her resting place because she lived so far away; Only able to settle for messaging relatives on her Facebook account and calling her parents and sister and brother that morning, but now, so late in the evening, she simply sat in bed...utterly incapable of falling asleep so she could just let this depressing day pass by.

After a while longer of just laying there and staring at the ceiling, she just decided to pick up her red laptop and use it until she felt tired enough to sleep; Opening up a folder that contained many videos and pictures before she clicked the first of the list, watching as the image of a smiling elder woman with warm hazel eyes and graying dark hair that lightly rested about her shoulders pop up into view.

"...Hi mawmaw." she whispered before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Beau?"

She turned her head to the right at the voice, and looked down to see her husband, Lynn, looking up at her with sleepy, ice blue eyes.

"It's late, why aren't you asleep?" he asked.

"I'm sorry if I woke you, hunny bun, but I...I just can't sleep right now." she told him softly.

Lynn seemed a bit confused at first, but then realization appeared across his face once he remembered what the date was.

"Do you want to talk some?" he asked as he reached over to his night stand and began to feel around for his glasses.

"No, it's okay, you have work tomorrow, so go back to sleep." she told him with a small smile as she ran her fingers through his thick, curly brown hair. "I'll be fine, I just want to look at some of her pictures for a little bit."

"I'll go to sleep right after."

Lynn didn't look very convinced by that, but she was right, he _did_ have work tomorrow with a stack of papers waiting for him that he would need to be fresh for; So as he let out another big yawn, he decided to listen to his wife and nestled back into the covers.

"Well...then if you need me for anything, _anything_ at all, don't hesitate to wake me up, okay?" he told her.

"I will my baby." she assured, allowing herself to smile at him as she bent over and shared a kiss. "Sweet dreams."

It didn't take long at all for her husband to fall back into a deep sleep, and once his light snores reached her ears, she focused back on her laptop and went through everything that had her grandmother in it; Every picture, every message and every video that she could quietly watch and listen to that most dearly missed voice...

But after what seemed like such a short while, she found herself with nothing else of her grandmother that she could look at or watch. And slowly closing the laptop, she just sat back in bed and silently contemplated with herself as she stared into the darkness of the bedroom.

Her heart still ached terribly with the absence...even after all this time, it _still_ didn't feel right, going _on_ like this without her here.

A sudden bright light peeking out from behind the curtains of their bedroom caught her attention, and after taking a quick glance at her slumbering partner, she slowly eased herself out of the bed; She stopped when he stirred slightly, but once she was sure that he was still sound asleep, she carefully kept over to the window and pulled back the blue curtain a bit to look outside.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, which she found odd because there was such a heavy overcast earlier that day...but it still brought a smile to her face to have such a perfect view of the moon as it shined so brilliantly while the stars seemed to dance all around it.

And as she leaned her head against the window frame, she sought out the biggest and brightest star she could find and quietly sang to herself...

 _'When you wish upon a star,  
Makes no difference who you are...  
Anything your heart desires,  
Will come to you...'_

She smiled sadly after the little bit of that timeless diddy, but soon she found herself fighting to keep her greenish gray eyes from tearing up.

She had cried enough to last her the rest of her life, and it wouldn't do her any good to cry more as it wouldn't make any difference whatsoever; But as she brushed a lock of her long, curly red hair behind her ear and took another look at the brightly shining star, that didn't stop her from longing... longing that wishes really _could_ come true like they did in her favorite movies.

But...even if by some impossible miracle that there _were_ magic lamps or fairy godmothers out there, it wasn't likely that she would ever be granted the one wish she held in her heart...

After a short while of staring up at the starry night sky, a big yawn found it's way out of her, and as that comfy mattress seemed to beckon to her _finally_ sleepy self, she moved away from the window and back towards her bed; Slowly and carefully crawling into it and wrapping the blankets around her before cuddling as close as she could to her dear husband without waking him and finally closing her eyes with a tired sigh.

...Blissfully unaware that she was being observed by unseen eyes.

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The old sorcerer silently watched the image in his cauldron as sleep finally pulled the young lady into its sweet embrace before he took a small brown sack front the right sleeve of his blue robes, untying the knot around the neck and pouring out a glimmering, sand-like silver powder onto his open palm; But as he held it over the cauldron, he hesitated, a deep frown upon his face that made it apparent that he wasn't sure if he should go any further.

"Are you quite sure that _this_ is what you wish to do?" he finally asked the slightly stout figure that stood behind him in the shadows. " There is a chance that she may not find her way back to her world should she fail to move along the path..."

"A chance she could get _hurt._ "

"There may be times when she will falter, but I have no doubts that she can make it in the end." They told him. "You should try to having more faith in her, instead."

"Isn't that what you people are all about?"

The old man only gave a deep sigh at her statement, but held any further opinions he may have had to himself and lifted the powder over the cauldron before he turned his hand, letting the shimmering grans fall into the bubbling waters within the cauldron; Watching and waiting as the image of the sleeping, red headed woman grew brighter and brighter until it was completely engulfed within the light...

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 **Alrighty, that's a wrap on the first chapter, Sorry there wasn't much.**


	2. Familiar Faces

**Yep, chapter 2 up and ready for reading. I've got almost 10 chapters ready for polishing on this story, though I think I'll work on the those a bit later as I still have lots to do.**

 **But I hope you'll still enjoy until I get more done :)  
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 **Happy reading!**

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 _Chapter 2: Familiar Faces_

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She had no idea what time it was, but it felt like she had only been asleep for a very short time when she suddenly woke up from someone tapping on her shoulder.

She figured that the culprit must have been her husband as he was the morning person of the pair, and more often than not, he had the habit of waking up thirty minuets, or even an hour before the alarm went off; It was a quality of his that she both appreciated and disliked.

Today, though, she was leaning more towards 'dislike' because she had been up so late last night...but what he was doing right now to get her up struck her as odd.

Normally, he would just lay down and sweetly cuddle with her until the alarm she had set when off, or just gently shake her awake or even tickle her ribs and neck on those rare few days where he felt it would be better for her to wake up at the same time; _T_ _his_ , though, it was almost like he was bouncing his hand on her arm as it made her body jerk.

Whatever was going on in that head of his, he was behaving a tad _too_ energetic for her taste so early in the morning...

"Oh honey, _come on_..." she groaned sleepily as she rolled over on her stomach and buried her face deeper into her pillow. "It was a late night, let me sleep until the alarm goes off, okay?"

"But we want to see you _now_ , sleepy head!" A young boys voice said happily as they started tapping on her back with renewed energy. "Wake up! Wake up! _Wake up!_ "

At that, her greenish gray eyes opened wide and her head shot straight up at the unfamiliar voice before she looked over her shoulder to see who had just spoken to her. But instead of seeing a little boy there, all she saw was this small creature that was covered in fluffy, dark brown fur with tiny paws and hind feet, and it also had a long tail with a tufted end and forest green eyes that seemed to sparkle with happiness as they looked down at her.

"Hiya Toony!" it said cheerfully with wide a catty smile.

She only stared at it silently as it felt like her brain had shut down. But after a few seconds, it finally registered that this strange puff ball had actually _spoken_ to her and did the only thing that came to mind...

 _ **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"**_

She flew from the bed as though it had suddenly turned into a pile of searing hot coals, but she got caught within the covers and tumbled to the floor in a heap, knocking her head in the process and leaving her dazed on the floor in a tangled mess of limbs and blankets. It was hard for her to move with the sheets wrapped around her tightly from the fall, but after a while of working at it, she finally managed to pull out through the edges of her white cotton cocoon from over her face.

"... _Ow._ " she groaned, her head pounding.

But when she opened her eyes again, she saw yet _another_ puff ball creature that had lighter, curlier brown fur with a pink bow on her tail and crystal blue eyes gazing at her with concern.

"Are you okay, Toony?" it ask in a soft, high little voice that sounded as though it belonged to a little girl.

The young woman only let out another startled scream as she started crawl away like a caterpillar because she couldn't fully untangle herself out of the blankets; But she stopped short into a wall, and struggled for a bit until she finally was sitting upright against it; Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and her breath was coming out in fast short breaths. And as her eyes frantically darted left in right, her fear even grew more when she realized that she wasn't home anymore...

She wasn't in her bedroom in the apartment she shared with her husband, she was alone in a strange bed chamber with stone walls that had a small, round table and one chair, a wooden wardrobe that was made for one person and the single bed that she had just fell from.

Where was she?! Where was her husband?! Did he get kidnapped too and placed in a different room? Just _what_ was going _on?!_

But when her eyes landed on a large wooden door that was right across the room from her, he wiggled her arms free from the blankets and attempted to get up and make a break for it only to let out a sharp gasp as the two fluffy creatures suddenly dropped into view close to her face, making her knock the back of her already sore head on that stone wall.

Holy flipping muffins, they even had _wings!_

"Cheo, I think we scared her." the little female puffball stated in worry, but it only earned a laugh from her male counterpart.

"Hahaha! But it sure was funny to watch, wasn't it Romi?" he asked, holding his middle with little paws and kicking his slightly longer hind feet in the air as he laughed.

The young woman held out a slightly trembling hand, hoping that they would keep their distance as she struggled to keep from hyperventilating.

"Look, I don't know what's going here, but you just stay right where you are or-" but her sentence stopped short when the realization of the names that were spoken suddenly hit her.

"Wait... _Romi?_." she asked, pointing at the both of them. " And did you say _Cheo?_ "

"Yeah, it's us, Cheo and Hiromi!" Cheo, the male puff ball said excitedly as the two of them landed on top of her knees. "You made us, don't you remember?"

"Cheo and Hiromi..." she repeated almost numbly, those were the names of the winged fluffballs she had created in high school, the first characters she had ever made herself when she started to seriously get into drawing...

All the while, Cheo and Hiromi just watched her as she sat there, almost frozen solid with shock and confusion. But just when they started to grow a little worried about her, she finally blink and a large, elated smile appeared across her face before she opened her arms wide.

"Oh my _babies!_ " she cried happily.

Cheo and Hiromi both let out joyful laughs as they launched themselves into her embrace, hugging and nuzzling the creator they had so longed to finally meet like this...

"Oh my gosh, it's Cheo and Romi! I can't believe it's really _you!_ " she stated in delight, laughing as their fur and soft white wings tickled her nose and under her chin while she cuddled with them before she finally pulled back with them sitting in her hands.

They were so much cuter then she even imagined, though as happy as she was to see them like this, it brought so many questions. "But I don't understand... _how?_ How can this be? How are you here right now?"

"The sorcerer did it, Toony, he brought us here to help you!" Hiromi told her with a sweet smile.

At that, she felt even more lost; They were here to help her? Help her do what?

But before she could think to ask Hiromi what she meant, it finally dawned on her that the both of them had been calling her 'Toony', which was the first part of her account name, Toony-Tornado, that she had on her favorite art website...

"Guys, you don't have to call me by my account name." She said with a smile. " Just call me-"

"It would be wiser to keep your true name to yourself, young lady." an aged, deep voice suddenly interrupted, making her look up just as the bedroom door slowly opened up and a tall figure stepped inside.

It was an old man with a gray beard that rested over the top half of his chest and dressed in dark blue robes that dragged lightly across the floor as he walked; And when he finally came to a stop before the young woman, he peered down at her with stern expression that seemed as though it were permanently engraved upon his face as a _very_ familiar pointed hat adorned with stars and a crescent moon rested upon his head.

"...You never know when there might be listening ears."

She could only just sit there, gaping up at him in disbelief with wide eyes, an open mouth and completely unsure if she could trust what he was seeing; There was _no_ _way_ this guy could be who she thought he was... _no way_ he could be the same man that she had seen countless times on the screen ever since she was a _baby_...but as she looked him up and down, blinking her eyes a couple of time to only to see that he was still there, there was no mistaking it as she said his name in a breathless voice...

" _Master Yen Sid!_ "

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 **And there's one more chapter wrapped up, I hope you guys liked it, I'll see you in the next :3**


	3. A Mysterious Quest

**Woot! Got another chapter polished up, also, if you guys see any grammar mess up, don't be afraid to let me know so I can fix it, okay? I hope you'll enjoy this read, this chapter's a bit longer than the other two. X3**

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 _Chapter 3: A Mysterious Quest_ **  
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It almost felt like time had frozen in place as the red headed woman stared wide eyed and open mouthed at this iconic Disney character as he stood before her while trying _very_ hard to make even the slightest bit of sense of what was going on.

"I...I can't believe this in happening...I _have_ to be dreaming!" She finally said out loud as she tried to force herself to wake up by reaching up and delivering a hard pinch to her arm. " _OW!_ "

"I can assure you, my dear, this is no dream." Yen Sid stated with a that powerful, sage-like voice as he graciously offered out a hand to her. "We are as real as you are."

The young woman only looked at it hesitantly, but after a few moments, she slowly placed her hand in his...finding that it was indeed really there, and that it was warm, and rough under her touch from years of practicing with magic, no doubt.

She was so transfixed that she was actually physically able to hold this hand that she _knew_ should have been impossible, that she didn't even notice that the blanket was still draped over her head and shoulders once he helped her stand back up; And when she looked back up at his face, her mind instantly began filling up with so many questions so quickly that she actually forgot how to speak properly.

I...you're...I don't...how can- _you_..." she sputtered, but her brain just couldn't pick out the words to say from the whirling mess within it.

"I understand that you may have many questions, but I believe that you may more appreciate a bit of food for right now..." Yen Sid told her as he gestured to the small table at the side.

Food?

She looked over to the table to find a plate of bread and cheese and a small bowl of purple grapes with a tall cup of water that was set neatly in front of the single chair...that wasn't there before.

"You also have fresh clothing in the wardrobe." The sorcerer added, breaking her from her numb stupor. "We have much to discuss once you have eaten and dressed."

And with that, he started towards the door, leaving her rooted to the spot with an internal struggle to _do_ something waged in her head as she watched him open the door and stride through it, her mind was screaming at her to move, but her body just refused to listen; It wasn't until she heard the heavy _'click'_ of the latch setting the door in place did she finally break out of the spell.

"W- _wait!_ " She cried, the blanket falling completely away from her as she raced to the door.

"Toony?" Cheo started as he and Hiromi followed after her. "Where you going?"

"Don't you want to eat first?" Hiromi asked.

"No! I _don't_ want to eat first!" She yelled as she grabbed the steel handle and pulled it open with both hands; The door was _way_ heavier than the thought it was, so slow going, but she didn't stop as the need for answers kept her going. How could she even _think_ of food at a time like this? With everything that's happening?!

When she finally got it open just enough for her to squeeze through and caught sight of the sorcerer once again, his hands loosely clasped over each other behind his back as he continued down the hall away from her room.

"Hold on!" she called out almost angrily, making Yen Sid stop and turn around to face her with a raised brow; And it was at that time the biggest questions she had came spilling out of her mouth. "What's going on here?! How is all this possible?! Cheo and Romi, th-they're _drawings_! And _you_ , I shouldn't even be standing here talking to you!"

"Where am I, and where's my _husband?!_ " she demanded, not caring that she hardly gave him a moment to even try and explain _or_ notice that the heavy door was slowly starting to close back up behind her...

"Um, Toony?" Cheo began to say, but his frantic creator didn't seem to hear him.

"I want answers!" the red headed woman said in a loud voice. "And I want them right now!"

No sooner did she finish that demand did the door finally close and she suddenly felt an _agonizing_ white hot pain run up her spine that causes her to let out the shrillest, most piercing screech she had ever let out in her life; It was so loud that she accidentally startled Cheo and Hiromi into zipping away and hiding behind Yen Sid as he calmly stood there watching as the young woman tried to turn around to see who or what stabbed her with what felt like a dagger or a hot poker, but to her surprise, she was _stuck_.

She didn't understand why, her legs and arms where free, and she didn't feel any tugging on her hair and cloths as she made what little movement she could. But as she looked over her shoulder, to her shock she saw the red, hairy... _thing_ that was attached to the very base of her back closed in the door.

She didn't know what to make of it, but whatever it was, it hurt... _bad._

" _What the frack is that?!_ " she ground out as she quickly tried to open the door back up, but it was awkward trying to reach around behind her to try and unlatch the lock, more so because it hurt her to move around too far.

But she didn't have to struggle for long when Yen Sid was suddenly standing right in front of her, leaning down to unhook the latch and then push open the door with much more ease; But what finally came free of it left the young woman speechless...

It was a _tail!_ a large, bushy red fox tail that had a stark white tip.

She stared at it a moment, absolutely dumbfounded, but then a thought came to her...if she had a tail, did that also mean...

She quickly reached up her hands to touch were her ears should have been...only to feel nothing but smooth, warm flesh and her hairline. So reaching higher, she sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers met with sensitive, velvety leather that protruded from her hair at the top of her head on both sides.

" _No._ " she started, looking from her fluffballs to the old sorcerer who all gazed at her in silence, waiting to see what she would do. "No no no, _no way!_ "

Finally, she spotted a large round mirror that was hanging to the left side of the stone wall a little ways down, and after rushing passed everyone and running ahead to stand before it, her jawed nearly hit the floor when she did indeed see two, very dark brown fox ears perched atop her head while her bushy tail bristled slightly and swished back and forth behind her in agitation.

"... _holy muffins!_ "

She could only stare at herself at first, turning her head side to side and willing the ears to move up and down multiple times before she finally believed that they were real before she reached behind and grabbed her tail, giving it a short, experimental tug.

Yep, it was on there all right...

"What is _this?!_ " she demanded, holding her new furry appendage out accusingly towards Yen Sid as he patiently stood there. "Did _you_ do this?!"

"Be calm, child, I merely summoned you by request to my castle." The sorcerer explained, lifting a hand that silently told her to not to freak out. "Though the magic that was preformed has indeed altered your appearance, it simply bestowed upon you the form that you best prefer to see _yourself_ in."

"A fox is an interesting choice."

"...It's just my favorite animal." she murmured as her face grew hot with embarrassment before she suddenly shook her head and got back on topic. " But that's not the point! What do you mean by 'you summoned me'? And at _whose_ request? Why am I even here? _How_ am I even here?! _Somebody_ better start explaining _something_ to me soon or I'm gonna fly into a fit of _rage!_ "

"I would much rather you didn't, Toony." Yen Sid stated as he kept that stoic expression of his. "That would be most unbecoming of a young woman such as yourself."

" _Hey!_ Considering the fact that I've woken up alone in a strange place, talking to people that _shouldn't_ exist and having things attached to my body that **_don't belong there_**...you can't really blame me for not wanting to behave like a model citizen right now!" She ground out irritably as once again her questions were ignored. "And why do you guys keep calling me 'Toony'?! That's not my name!"

"I am very much aware that it is not, as am I aware that you are confused and no doubt very frightened." Yen Sid said with a nod, placing a hand comfortingly on the young womans' shoulder, "Believe me when I tell you that you are _safe_ here, and that I want nothing more than to give you the answers you seek."

He then moved the hand to her back and gently began to escort her back to the room she first woke up in.

"But first, please eat, I know that you have not had proper nourishment before your arrival, and I am sure that you would prefer to be dressed in a more suitable attire before we speak of anything more."

Toony wanted to protest, but as she looked down at her black tank top and pink pajama pants with strawberries and pop tarts all over it, she realized that she actually _did_ want to be in better cloths. Not only so she could comfortably sit down and listen to Yen Sids' explanation, but to warm up because of the chill in this stone castle which she hadn't noticed before in her hysterics; Then, she blushed bright red and crossed her arms over her middle when her stomach suddenly let loose a _very_ audible growl.

...Maybe she _could_ stand to eat a little something and clean up after all.

"My study is down this hall and through the last door at the left." Yen Sid informed her as he saw that she would return to the room without further complaint. re-clasping his hands behind his back heading off once again. "Please come and join me after you are more comfortable."

The young woman only watched him as he left her at the door at first, then after she spared a look at Cheo and Hiromi who stayed behind to be with her, she let out an exhausted sigh.

"Come on, you two." She told them as she pushed the heavy door open and entered the bedroom. "I'll share my grapes with you..."

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" _Mmm!_ Yummy, yummy!" Cheo said, rubbing his belly in satisfaction as he and Hiromi finished off the last of the grapes and what was left of the cheese while their creator changed behind the small privacy screen that was by the opened wardrobe.

"Do you feel any now, Toony?" Hiromi asked as the young woman stepped back out into the open all dressed up.

Toony, as she just accepted to be called for now, gave a nod as she went to the small mirror that hung above a washing basin and smoothed out her long red hair; Though she still felt a little uncomfortable at the sight of her new fox ears.

"Much better, Romi, thank you." she said.

It was kind of true, after her belly was full and she was dressed in a clean, comfortable set of cloths, she felt a whole lot calmer than she did earlier; Though not _completely_ as she took a closer look at her outfit...

She had a character that she would always draw, an avatar that would represent herself in the pictures that she made and posted on her favorite art sight; Which, no that she thought about it, seemed to explain why she now had these fox ears and tail...but it was still very unnerving to see that she was wearing what she would always dress her avatar in.

From the black turtle neck and large tan, cable knit cardigan right down to the blue jeans and brown, mid-calf Yoki Sylvia boots; She even had her wedding ring and her gold necklace with the light green opal stone that her husband had given her on their anniversary.

...It was like she had been turned into the avatar itself.

Toony had half a mind to confront Yen Sid and demeaned that he tell her how he managed to get these cloths and whether if he had been spying on her, but then she remembered what he had said...the magic that was used to bring her here had given her the form that she liked to picture herself in, so it more than likely provided her ideal set of cloths for her too.

If that was the case, she decided to just let it be as she had more important things to deal with, like getting answers as to _why_ she was suddenly spirited away from home in her sleep!

Once Toony was fully ready to see Yen Sid again, Cheo and Hiromi were more than eager to lead her down the hall to his study study; And when she reached the last, heavy wooden door that was at the end to the left, she put both hands on it and pushed it open.

Peeking inside, she saw that it was a large room that contained endless shelves of thick, heavy books of all kinds with a cauldron that rested in the middle. There was also a huge desk that sat to the left that had more books that were piled high on top of each other on it's surface; Finally, as she moved her gaze further to the left, there was Yen Sid, gazing out at a strange, pastel fog that was outside a tall, open doorway that lead out to a large balcony while he waited for her.

Taking in a deep breath, Toony finally walked inside and closed the door behind her, alerting him of her presence and making him turn around to face her.

"Everything is too your liking, I presume?" the sorcerer asked, nodding towards her outfit.

"Uh, yeah, it's a...a perfect fit." She told him, still not sure how she should feel about it. "Now will you _please_ tell me what's going on? Though before _anything_ else, I want you to tell me where my husband is!"

"I assure you that your spouse is is quite safe, back in the home you both share." Yen Sid promised. "And as I have said, you are safe within my castle; I know that there is much you wish to know, but regrettably, there is very little I am allowed to share with you."

"I implore you to keep that as I do my best give you as much enlightenment to your being here as I am able."

"Okay, at least I know that Lynn's alright..." Toony said, visibly relaxing and letting out a sigh of relief before she got a bit more serious. " Are you allowed to tell me why I'm here?"

The sorcerer gave a slow nod as he walked over to stand before her.

"You are here because I was asked to summon you, so that you may take upon quest." Yen Sid started. "Though by whom, I cannot say."

Toony quietly stared at him, expressionless for a good long while as ran his words over and over in her mind...he was _asked_? To join a _quest_? Like a 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Dark Crystal' kind of thing? The more she thought about it, the more absurd and ridiculous it became until she gave an amused snort and giggled, grinning ear to ear as though he had just told her a hilarious joke.

"Yeah, right, now tell me why I'm _really_ here." she said.

But her laughter soon died down when Yen Sid just stared at her with that never changing stern expression; And only when she looked back and forth between Cheo and Hiromi, who giving her excited smiles and vigorous nods, did she realize that the sorcerer had been completely serious.

"Alright, then that's...cool, I guess." She started, placing her hand on her hips with a bit of frustration as even more questions filled her mind. " Can you at least tell me _why?_ "

"I do apologize, but that is for you to discover on your own." Yen Sid told her, "Otherwise, there would have been little point in bringing you here at all."

At that, she let out a heated sigh and crossed her arms tightly over her chest... why did that _not_ surprise her?

"Tell me, what do you know of theory of the multiverse?" The sorcerer suddenly asked, pulling Toony from her thoughts.

"Oh, uh, only that there could be a number of different universes, some similar to ours with very little differences and others that are drastically different in terms of culture or historic events..." She answered, a little confused by this seemingly random question. "It really depends on the world you go to, right?"

"Very good, this may be much simpler to explain, then." Yen Sid commented. "Now, what of the universes that are made?"

" _Made?_ " Toony repeated, a puzzled expression on her face. "I thought that they were all the same, well, at least all the different worlds were essentially created at the same time."

"In that theory, yes, those worlds would have already been there; But the theory you have in mind does not apply to all that you see here." he said, gesturing all around his study before he had her follow him out to the balcony.

"The worlds that you, and many others like you, have given the title 'Disney', are in fact real worlds." he explained as he wave his hand before that huge, thick mass of swirling, purple and pink mists in front of them. "Worlds given life by the passion, diligence and heart of those who gave them form, and nourished by the love and adoration from many of your world who greatly cherish them."

"Every world you have ever watched upon a screen of what you call a 'Television' are out there before you."

Toony felt her mouth opened slightly in astonishment; Every world she watched on a screen... was he talking actually about Disney movies and T.V. shows?

"But, how on earth did you ever find out that you were made?" she asked, looking back at him in total wonder. "And...if you know about the real world, er, my world...does that mean you can contact it whenever you like?"

"A sorcerer can bring enlightenment to anything he sets his mind to..." The older man began, rather cryptically. "But when it comes to the delicate balance of worlds, it is best that he never shares too much."

"Well that's a fancy way of saying 'a magician never revels his secrets'..." she retorted, deflating a bit with disappointment as she rolled her eyes.

"Often times it is secrets that are more efficient in keeping the harmony, young lady." He told her in a serious tone. "As they will in turn keep you safe on the journey that lies ahead of you."

He then held up a hand, and with a quick, loud snap of his fingers, a large, golden bracelet adorned with shimmering gemstones appeared in a sudden flash of light and hovered there in mid-air over his palm.

"This bangle contains 12 magical stones." Yen Sid explained as the bracelet floated then over to her. " It can grant you gifts, gifts of sight and hearing among others; but most importantly, it will help navigate your way among the worlds that are in need your visitation most."

Slowly, Toony took the bangle in her hands, looking at it a bit before she slid it over her left wrist and marveled at its beauty.

It had a thick, golden band that kind of looked like two good sized bracelets were welded together, with two rows of diamonds that wrapped all the way around; But what was interesting about them was the fact that each stone was a different color.

She saw that there was a traditional white diamond, but there was also pink, purple, blue and many other colors as well.

"It can also offer you a bit of protection if you are ever in any need of it." Yen Sid said, making her look back up again. "But you must remember, in every world you go to, you must _never_ reveal who you are or where you really come from; There are things out there...things that would like nothing more than to steer you from your path, be it with temptations or threats."

"And they will use _any_ piece information they can acquire against you to do so."

"Is that why you wanted me to keep my real name to myself?" Toony asked.

"They say that to hold the true name of an individual is to also hold great power over them." Yen Sid affirmed. "So with this in mind, you would be that much safer if you didn't test it."

"That's why we always call you 'Toony'!" Cheo said from his seat on her left shoulder after a long while of being quiet as she and Yen Sid spoke to each other.

"And it's like we're calling you 'mommy', too." Hiromi added happily from Toonys' right. "So we like it better!"

Toony smiled fluffballs, they were so much more adorable and sweet than she even imagined them to be; And the more she thought about it, the more she came to fully accept 'Toony' as her new designation.

"Okay then, I guess that makes sense, but if I'm supposed to keep my identity a secret, should I be worried that you seem to already know it?" she asked the sorcerer suspiciously. "And the person that asked you to summon me here, how do I know that you're both not one of those 'things' that will try to _steer me from my path_ , hmm?"

"It is wise to be wary my dear, no matter whom you meet, there should _always_ be that bit of caution; And it will be better not to place all your trust in what you _think_ you know." Yen Sid began. "But in this case, as I was asked to summon you, you can be rest assured that I am not one to be concerned about."

"Other wise, why would I be giving you so much aid before you started on this journey?"

As if to prove his point, he gestured out over the balcony just as a beautiful, small white ship with silver trim and pearly sails that shimmered as they moved rose into sight; It was definitely the most gorgeous boat she had ever seen...

"... _Wow._ " Toony stated breathlessly, thoroughly impressed.

"The mists that you see out here are simply known as 'ties'; keeping every world you know connected, yet separated from each other." Yen Sid began as he looked on at the swirling mass of color before them. "On this quest, you must remember while you journey through the ties in the safety of this vessel, time is irrelevant within them."

"For example, when you arrive to a world and meet it's people, what you witnessed from watching the pictures of their lives ever since you were young may be... _different_ " he continued. " You could come to meet them before their stories even began, or possibly after they ended, or you may even arrive somewhere in between; but even then, it is not clear if events will play out _exactly_ as you may remember."

At that, Toony suddenly let out a laugh that she had been suppressing, and tried to stop herself when Yen Sid fixed her with a rather less than humors expression.

"I-I'm sorry, I really don't mean to laugh," She told him, the smile still on her face. "It's just.. with the boat, Cheo and Hiromi and an epic journey across the Disney universes and everything; Just hand me a Key Blade and we'll essentially be another 'Kingdom Hearts' game."

She started to laugh again, but soon stopped when he didn't even crack so much as a smile and awkwardly composed herself.

"Um, but you probably don't know what I'm talking about..." she stated in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"On the contrary, I know very well of what you speak." He said with a stern voice as he crossed his arms over each other as a parent would if their child had gotten into trouble. "But it would do you well to keep in mind that this quest is not a game; You can get hurt, and if you are not careful, you _will_ lose your life."

"And no amount of magic will ever bring you back."

Toony just felt like kicking herself for being such an idiot, but after she felt a soft pat her right cheek and looked at the at the reassuring smiles of her fluffballs, she gave a soft sigh and got serious.

"Right, but there's just two problems, then..." Toony began. " I don't know how to navigate _or_ drive a boat."

"You won't have to..." Yen Sid told her, stepping to the side to revel a figure that was standing there in the shadows, making Toony blink in surprise as she wondered exactly how long they had been waiting there before they finally stepped forward into the light. "That is where your _guide_ will help you...

It was another young woman, dressed in dark gray pants with a black corset that was fitted over a white button up shirt and black boots that almost went up to her knees; She also wore a belt that had a good sized dagger tied at the side and chestnut colored hair that hung long and thick below her back, which was so dark, it made her olive skin seem paler than what it was;

But what really caught Toonys' attention where those sharp hazel eyes that almost seemed to see right through her.

She looked as though she might have been the same age as Toony, maybe a couple years older, but she gave off an air that made her seem even older than what he appeared; Everything about seemed to give off that she was a 'no nonsense' kind of woman, especially with her full lip set in a pretty withering frown.

"You can call me Marie." She said in a attractively husky voice that held a slight southern twang. "I'll be the one makin' sure that this trip goes along fast 'n smooth."

Toony gave a hesitant wave as she looked Marie over warily...something told her that they would _definitely_ going along this journey most 'efficiently' with her as a guide.

"Now, before your journey begins, you must first go and supply yourselves with a substance necessary to help your vessel as you go from world to world." Yen Sid informed them.

"Oh really?" Toony asked curiously. "What's that going to be?"

"Pixie dust." Marie answered for him as she briskly walked past them and towards the boat, making Toony gawk at her in surprise before Yen Sid began to speak again.

"My magic will be enough to to take you to your first destination, but you will have to determine how you will attain the amount of pixie dust you will need on your own." The elder man instructed.

"As long as the ship knows where it's goin', I'll get us there." Marie said as she started up the ladder that was over the side of the boat while Cheo and Hiromi cheered excitedly and followed in after.

Toony was still standing in a dumbfounded state, unable to figure out whether she should be shocked or ecstatic about the fact that they would have to get _actual_ pixie dust; There was only one place she could think of that they would have to go, and the very idea that she would actually have the chance to go there was enough to make her very impatient to head out.

"Hey, wait up!" She called out.

But before she could take a single step towards the boat, she was stopped when Yen Sid suddenly took her left arm in his hand; And though he still had that ever stoic expression, she could practically feel a sense of urgency radiating from him.

"Now Toony, I need you to listen _very_ carefully, for this is the most important instruction I have left to give..." he began, making sure that he had undivided attention."This bangle you wear is a very powerful item, and the more worlds you visit, the more it will attract the malicious beings I have warned you about; But more dangerous than that, you must pay very close attention to the bangle itself."

Toony gave him a confused look, but listened quietly as he continued on.

"While you are on a world, you may stay there for as long as you need to; but after every venture you complete, a stone within this bangle will glow, telling you that you have accomplished what you were meant to do." He explained. "Once it does, you must take great care in making it back to your vessel within three days time."

"Why only three days?" Toony asked.

"The band is very fragile, and trying to keep and contain magic of that caliber will cause it to crack and eventually break." the sorcerer answered. " If that should happen, the magic that will lead you through the worlds, as well as lead you back home, will disappear...forever."

"...Okay, so we don't want _that_ to happen," Toony began hesitantly as a bad feeling began to develop in the pit of her stomach at this information. "But say... _hypothetically_ , something comes up and I can't make it back in time... what would happen to me?"

"Regretfully, I cannot say for certain." Yen Sid told her, his expression grim. " You could wake up in your bed believing that all you experienced was nothing but a dream, or you could become marooned upon that world..."

"Is there another 'or' in there?" Toony asked nervously as he trailed off, already not liking where this was going.

"...At the very worst, you could be forever trapped in limbo without the hope of escape." the sorcerer finally told her. " I _highly_ suggest you do everything in your power to make it back within three days."

That cold spot in Toonys' stomach grew bigger as she bit at her bottom lip, turned to look back at the boat where Marie and her fluffballs where waiting for her; She had been so eager to start this adventure only moments before, but after what Yen Sid just told her, after _everything_ he told her...she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Then...maybe I shouldn't go, I-I still don't even really know _what_ I'm supposed to do or what I'm doing it _for!_ " she said worriedly as she looked back up at the old sorcerer. "If the stakes are really that high, I don't think I can do this."

"I confess that I was not entirely sure if you were able as well...at first." Yen Sid admitted. "But upon meeting you...I do believe I can place my faith in your abilities now."

"You are... _unusual._ " He continued before Toony could ask him what he meant. "Head strong and stubborn, and you often mask any fear or pain you may be feeling beneath a humorous or joyful facade when there isn't any need for you to do so; But beneath all that I can see that you are loving, and you have a strong sense of fairness and understanding."

"And while you are very much grown up, you still keep such a young heart, and with it, you are still able to look at the world around you with that ageless sense of wonder...all of these are traits that will greatly help you on this journey."

And for the first time since meeting him, Toony watched for the first time as Yen Sids' stony expression slowly soften and a small, but comforting smile appeared on his face.

"Now, I realize that you may see this as a, how is it put...a _'Disney Cliché'_ , but you must have faith in yourself, and believe that you can reach the end of this no doubt bizarre and mysterious quest." he told her as he gently patted the back of her hand. " Do that, then the answers you seek will most certainly come to light."

Toony still felt a little unsure, as well as a little scared...if she knew her Disney like she thought she did, than ready or not, she would have no choice but to get on that boat anyway if she ever hoped to see home again...

But after hearing Yen Sid's rather uplifting words, somehow, a little more confidence came back to her.

And after giving an appreciative smile to the old sorcerer for all the the help he had given her and taking her hand back, she gave one last look at her enchanted bracelet before she took in a deep breath and walked towards the ship that would take her on this fearfully mysterious, but equally exciting journey of her life.

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 **Aaaaaand there it is, the start to the adventure!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! see ya next time! :D:D:D:D**


	4. Homesick

**YAAAY! Got another chapter polished up, also, if you guys see any grammar mess up, don't be afraid to let me know so I can fix it, okay? I hope you'll enjoy this read, this chapter's a bit longer than the other two. X3**

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 _Chapter 4: Homesick_ **  
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It hadn't been more than a couple hours since Marie, Toony and the two winged fluffballs departed from master Yen Sids' castle; And at first, Toony had been content to flitting about the boat with Cheo and Hiromi, exploring every inch of its outside or gazing out at the hazy, pastel mists that seemed to surround them as though they were a thick fog.

It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, and as she peered even further through soft, swirling, colors, Toony could just make out clusters of bright stars that managed to twinkle through which added even more elegance and luster to the already breathtaking view; But it wasn't long until Toony had seen everything there was to see out there she soon sat down on a bench that was seamlessly built into the boat at the bottom deck.

Cheo and Hiromi were content to rest upon their creators lap as she twirled her fingers within their silky soft fur as she thought about what had happened to her so far...

In all honestly, she _still_ couldn't believe that any of this was actually real, she kept thinking that she was going to be waking up from this at any moment...but here she stayed; Ever since she was a little girl she absolutely _adored_ 'Disney' and everything there was to do with it, The books, the movies, the games she loved it all.

She had always _dreamed_ about what it would be like to actually have an adventure just like this...but even though she felt like so jazzed by the fact she was living out a fantasy she had ever since she was a child, the dangers that Yen Sid warned her about still weighed heavily on her mind.

Toony had absolutely _no_ idea what to expect on this journey since she didn't have a lot to go on; She didn't know what she was going to see or who she was going to meet or what she was supposed to do...and she still couldn't figure out why some mysterious person would go through the trouble of getting her here or how long she would be here either _or_ if she would even make it back home.

 _Home_...that made her thoughts drift to her family, to her husband...what would happen to him if she couldn't do this?

She greatly hoped that this situation would be similar to most movies and stories she had grown up with, where time would pass by differently back home than it did in the world the main character was in, or which she would greatly prefer, hoped that time would wold freeze and start back up again until she returned; But whichever the case, she hoped at least one of those possibilities was true...because what would he do if he woke up in the morning to find her gone? Without the knowledge that she had been whisked away on this unbelievable journey and trying to find her way back all on her own?

She was jolted from her thoughts when a soft yawn and made her blink and look down, watching as Cheo just finished up stretching his legs and wings out before he snuggled back down, both he and Hiromi nestling further into the folds of Toonys' sweater; The adorable sight was enough to bring a smile to her face and quiet those worrying thoughts and reminded her that she wasn't _entirely_ alone as she at least had Cheo and Hiromi here to help her.

And as for her guide...

Toony looked up at Marie as she stood with her back to her while she steered the boat, her dark hair flowing elegantly behind her while her hazel eyes diligently watched ahead within the ties for anything that might be dangerous.

Marie was quite a beautiful person, and Toony couldn't couldn't help but think that she would look even lovelier if she smiled more, but there was something else...she couldn't quite explain it, but there was something about Maire that almost seemed _familiar_ somehow, though she couldn't quite figure out why. Marie really didn't talk very much about herself...or really _anything_ for that matter.

And Toony was more than positive that she would remember someone so brusque, so maybe Marie just reminded her of someone she knew back home; But who that was, Toony just couldn't put her finger on it just yet...

"You're staring."

Toony jumped at the sudden at the sudden voice, and at that moment she was aware that Marie was now looking over her shoulder at her, her sharp eyes narrowed with slight annoyance.

"Somethin' you'd like to say?" the guide asked.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" Toony began quickly as a sheepish expression appeared on her face for getting caught. "It's just...you look kinda familiar to me is all."

"I can't see how, this is the first time we've met like this." the dark haired woman told her as she looked back ahead of the boat. "Do you know many Maries'?"

"Just one, but she's shorter and blonde, she looks nothing like you..." Toony said, feeling a little awkward while she tried to think of what else they could talk about to get off the subject and maybe even get to know each other a little better. "Sooo...were you summoned here on a quest like I was?"

"Whatever you'd like to think." she said in a curt tone without looking back at her, an action that told Toony she had no interest in talking at all which in turn made the fox eared young woman let out a heavy sigh from disappointment.

Brusque as well as cold...this was going to be a _swell_ trip.

"...I've been here a bit longer than you." Marie suddenly said, catching Toony's attention. " I volunteered to be your guide before you were summoned."

"You _volunteered?_ " Toony asked, a little surprised as she woke Cheo and Hiromi from their naps and stood to her feet; the two tired fluffballs rubbed at their eyes a bit after being woken up, but sleepily followed after their creator as she walked up the steps to stand beside their other companion.

"Why would you do something like that for me?" Toony asked curiously. " I mean...it's not like we know each other or anything, why help a stranger like this?"

Marie only held her gaze with those intense hazel eyes of hers for a few moments, but instead of answering Toonys' question, she simply turned her attention back to the path ahead.

"Sorry..." She said with out sparing her another glance. "Maybe I'll tell you next time."

Well, that conversation certainly didn't last long...but at least Marie didn't completely leave her hanging, so maybe this trip wouldn't be all that bad after all; But that was her last thought before a large yawn suddenly escaped from her.

"Sorry, the excitements' toned down a bit." Toony explained with a tired smile. "That and boat rides have always made me sleepy ever since I was little."

"Next time, remember to cover your mouth." Marie told her with a disapproving look on her face, much to Toonys' surprise upon seeing it. "And if you're tired, you should head down to bed; I'll be staying out here to make sure we get to our first destination as quickly as we can."

Although Toony was a bit taken aback by what Marie said about covering her mouth and scolding her as though she were little kid, she made no comment on it a sleep was sounding more appealing than trying get her to explain what her reaction to one yawn was all about and started down the stairs to where the door to the cabin was.

"You know, I was actually wondering about this cabin here..." Toony began as she put her hand on the knob and turned it. "You're gonna have to sleep at some point too, so are we gonna be taking turns after a few hours or is there like a mini bunk bed in here or are we just-"

But the words died in her throat as her eyes were met with the most astonishing sight...

Instead of a small space that would barley be enough room for one bed and maybe a tiny rest room, it was like she had just walked into a _huge_ studio apartment.

To her right was a fully furnished living area and to her left was a most impressive kitchen, and strait ahead across the polished hardwood floors on a slightly raised and carpeted platform was a comfy looking full sized bed; And in a loft that rested directly over it, she could see that there was another full sized bed that was under a large bay window.

"Are you okay, Toony?" Cheo asked as Hiromi only giggled at her frozen, open mouthed expression.

But instead of answering, Toony only gave a quick shake of her head before she turned and ran back outside to look over the boat again; There was no _way_ the cabin should be that big inside if it was so small on the outside! But sure enough, when she ran back inside, it hadn't change in the slightest.

"Marie! It's _huge!_ " Toony cried excitedly as she ran back out on the deck with a renewed vigor. "It's like a Tardis in here!"

"Like a _what?_ " Marie asked in confusion, the 'Doctor Who' reference completely going over her head.

But Toony didn't even think to offer an explanation as she scurried back inside with Cheo and Hiromi, and with their sleepiness completely forgotten, they began to explore the cabin further.

In the kitchen, there was a black gas stove and a double sink and dishwasher and the surface of the counters and small island table were made of a beautiful, shiny black garnet; Inside the cherry wood cabinets and drawers were dishes and cooking utensils of all kinds, and the black fridge and walk-in pantry were _stocked_ with food, Meats, vegetables, fruits, cheese and drinks, there were even her favorite junk food snacks, too.

In the living room, was a very pretty wooden coffee table with a comfy looking couch and a reclining chair with a large bookshelf that was filled up with all kinds of books she would have to take a better look at later on; Toony also noticed that there was another door nearest to the bed that was on the floor level, and going through it, she saw that it was a marvelous master bathroom.

The walls were a lovely teal color that had white trimming and the tile floor looked like it was made of white marble, there was also a white marble sink and a large, old fashioned white tube that stood from the floor on silver tinted metal legs; There was even a good sized shower enclosure with textured glass walls at the back, which Toony greatly appreciated since she preferred to take showers best.

And just like the kitchen, this bathroom had all the fixings, towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner. And under the sinks she found a first aid kit, skin care products, hair brushes and ties, even tooth brushes and tooth paste.

"Wow, master Yen Sid didn't skimp on _anything_ when he made this..." Toony stated as she sat back on her knees with a look of amazement.

"He wanted to make sure you and Marie had everything you liked, Toony." Hiromi said. "He even brought old things you like here so you wouldn't miss home so bad."

"He did?" the young woman asked in slight surprise.

"Yeah, it's all up in the loft, that's _your_ room!" Cheo said excitedly as he tugged on one of her ears to get her to follow after him. "C'mon, c'mon, we'll show ya!"

Toony only let out a giggle as she got up and followed them out of the bathroom and up the curved stair case that led to the loft, her eyes widening in amazement when she looked around...

She saw her old, second hand desk that she had gotten when she was thirteen. unfortunately, she had to get rid of it a few years ago because it had suffered some serious water damage, but here it was...back in the state she remembered with all of its little nicks and chips; Even the little heart with wings and a halo along with her initials she had carved on the corner of it was there.

She smiled fondly as she put her hand on the surface... she remembered spending countless nights at this desk, scrambling to get homework done that she had put off until the very last minute and practicing her drawing technique...she was glad to see it again.

And looking around, she saw many other things of hers here as well.

Her bookshelf where she kept her fragile trinkets and music boxes was there; Her horse and angel figurines that she had gotten from her grandmother on her mothers side after she passed away when she was eleven, a 'Cats' music box her grandfather, also on her mothers side, had gotten her for Christmas, and the many unicorn and carousel horse music boxes her parents had gotten for her birthdays.

And looking at the bed, a delighted smile spread across her face to see that it was covered in her favorite blanket that had sun, moons and stars on it with the huge, fuzzy blue pillow she had gotten on a trip.

And hanging right above the bed, in a rainbow corner net, was a bundle of stuffed animals that Toony recognized as ones that had the most special meaning to her, just like everything else in her room.

There was a large fuzzy panda bear that her husband won for her at a carnival game, a ginger furred kitten that was given to her by her little sister as a birthday gift, a Shadow the Hedgehog plush her brother had found for her, the worm from 'The Labyrinth' she bought a the the state fair last year, a stuffed Barney the Dinosaur that was from her mother when she was five and right in the middle of them all...

"Holy muffins, is that _Thumper?!_ " Toony started excitedly as she jumped up on the bed and pulled out the stuffed, lop eared rabbit from the net.

It _was!_ Her fuzzy bunny with black glass eyes and soft, sky blue fur with a white belly and muzzle and a dark blue nose that had been worn down over time... just the way she remembered him.

Her mother always said that he was her very first birthday present from her mawmaw and pawpaw, and he was her very favorite toy to play with; She couldn't remember what happened to him, but she did remember that she was _very_ upset when she found that she had lost him years ago.

But here he was, and she couldn't help but smile and hug him tightly to her chest as she flopped over on the cushy bed. Though when her head landed on her pillow, she noticed that there was a hard lump; And reaching under it, she pulled out a red album that had a picture of her and sister together on the cover, her smile dropping slightly at the sight of it.

...This was the last album that her family made before her grandmother passed away.

She sat up and placed the photo book upon her lap, looking at it for a few moments before she slowly opened it up and looked through the pages, taking in the pictures that held the smiling faces of her family...her grandfather and great-grandmother, her parents, her brother and sister...her husband; And when her eyes rested on the image of her grandmother, she finally couldn't stand to look anymore and closed up the book, her heart aching and heavy with longing as she realized just how much she missed her loved ones.

"Are you okay, Toony?" Hiromi asked, gazing worriedly at her creators suddenly somber expression and then looking down at the photo album. "Do you miss your family?"

"Yeah, I guess having all these things here still makes me feel a little homesick." She said truthfully, rubbing at the slight mist that was in her eyes before she gave her fluffballs a soft smile to lessen their worry. "But I guess I'll just have to hurry and complete the quest so I can go home sooner, right? Can I count on you both to help me out?"

"You can count on use for _everything!_ " They both firmly assured as they nodded in agreement.

"But not _too_ soon, okay?" Cheo suddenly added. "We wanna spend as much time as we can with you!"

At that, Toony gave a laugh and pulled them both into a hug before she fell back onto the bed.

"Of course, Cheo," She promised. " We'll have to make sure and have lots of fun together before it's time to go home."

Humming happily, Cheo and Hiromi both snuggled into Toonys' warm embrace, laying there in peaceful silence before they all let out tired yawns. And after a few moments of feeling the boat gently rock back and forth, it wasn't long before they were finally lulled into a deep sleep...

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 **The next chapter is on its way, stay tune X3**


	5. Neverland

**Woo-hoo! One more chapter for the night, and I'll use this time to thank the very first review of this story since I forgot to in the last chapter, thank you very much 'S Danyal Allen' I really appreciate your interest in my story. I hope you enjoy it to the end :D:D**

 **Now, without further delay, on to the chapter X3**

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 _Chapter 5: Neverland_

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Bright sunlight shining in from the window was what finally pulled Toony out from the best sleep she had in a very long time, and after she gave a soft sigh and rubbed at her eyes for a moment, she suddenly froze and let out a gasp as the events from yesterday all came flooding back into her mind; She quickly sat up, fully expecting to find herself at home in her bedroom, nestled within the blankets of her own bed next to her husband; expecting to see that everything that happened had been nothing but a long, vivid dream...

But as she looked around, she soon found that wasn't the case as she sat upon that full sized bed by herself, still with her fox ears and tail and surrounded by things she once thought to be lost or stored away...

Toony could only sit there in silence as she let the realization sink in, and the more she came to accept that everything that was happening was all so very real, she found herself unable to decided whether she should feel disappointed that she was still here on this magical vessel to complete an unbelievable quest...or if she should feel relived.

 _Thump! Thump! Thump!_

"Toony, we're almost there!" called a voice from the ceiling above her that she recognized as her guide, Marie. " Get your caboose outta bed already!"

The redheaded young woman just let out a humorous snort as she stretched out her limbs, one last yawn finding its way out of her before she stood to her feet and head down the steps of the loft and finally through the cabin door to the deck outside; She smiled at how bright and sunny it was before taking in a deep breath of the fresh, sweet air before she turned around and caught sight of Marie in the exact same place at the helm where Toony had left her last night.

Did she stay out here the entire time she was asleep?

"Hiya Toony!" Che greeted from his seat between the handles of the helm, cheerfully waving at her.

"We were keeping Marie company after we woke up!" Hiromi added, flying down to land on her creators shoulder. "You've been sleeping for _forever!_ "

"Yeah, sorry, I was pretty tired." Toony said, patting Hiromis' little head with a smile as she walked up the steps to the upper deck. "Good morning, guys."

"Good afternoon's more like it." Marie stated as she looked over at her charge and eyed her slightly disheveled appearance. "Did you sleep in your cloths?"

"Uh, yeah, I meant to change, but once I laid down that was kinda it for me." Toony answered sheepishly as she began to smooth down her wrinkled outfit and bed head with her hands.

"That's horrible for your skin." Marie commented with a disapproving shake of her head. "Don't do it again."

That sounded like it was an order, what, did she think she was her mother or something? But, Toony just shrugged and let it roll off her back...she was still a bit too tired to make any kind of comment about it anyway.

"Were you out here all this time?" Toony asked to change the subject.

"Well, someone had to make sure to we got here." the dark haired woman answered. "Speakin' of which, you might want to go ahead and take a peek up front."

"You might enjoy the view."

Toony's ears twitching in confusion at what she meant, she turned her face forward...and the sight that met her eyes caused a breathless gasp to escape her lips before she quickly ran to the bow of the ship and peered over the the railing to get a better look; Because there, right before her as their vessel slowly descended through the puffy white clouds...was the one and only Neverland!

Covered with lush greenery, Toony took in that iconic tall peek that reached high towards the sky right in the middle of the island; She could see Mermaid Lagoon and those beautiful, vibrant rainbows that were always shining over the island, She even saw the Indian encampment as it rested upon its own tall ledge at the far left.

All the while sparkling, crystal blue waters surrounded the island on all sides as far as the eye could see.

"It's Neverland!" Toony cried out happily, barley able to contain herself after finally finding her voice again. "This can't-I'm just...we are _seriously_ in _Neverland!_ "

Chep and Hiromi smiled and laughed at Toony's obvious joy while Marie just quietly continued to steer the boat; She didn't seem to share even the slightest bit of excitement that Toony felt, In fact, she almost looked as though the were about to go through something rather dull and tedious.

Though whatever the reason for that was, Toony just decided to focus on how undeniably awesome this was for her!

"We're gonna pull up to that beach right in the middle, so hold tight 'til the ship's in the water!" Marie instructed.

She was talking about the beach inside the crescent shaped cove, the area where the _Jolly Roger_ , pirate ship of Captain James Hook, was usually found...though at the moment, the ship was no where to be seen there, or anywhere around the island as far as she could tell; But that didn't bother Toony all that much, it must have meant that Hook was just gone from Neverland.

And remembering what Yen Sid had told her about sailing through the ties from world to world, maybe this was after the time Hook got his ship sunk by the giant octopus at the end of the second movie; If that was the case, it should be safe to land there.

Toony held on tightly to the rail and braced herself when she felt the ship rock and jerk as it hit the beautiful blue sea water, and after that, it didn't take long at all for their small ship to ease up onto the white sandy beach; And as soon as the boat came to a stop, Toony immediately hopped off the boat and began talking excitedly to her fluff balls while Marie stayed behind to drop the anchor to be sure and keep their only means of transportation from floating out with the waves.

"Oh my gosh, I still can't even believe this is really happening!" Toony said almost too fast for them to hear before she pulled up a sleeve and thrust her arm out. "Cheo, Romi, one of you pinch me so I know this isn't some crazy dream within a dream!"

"You're funny when you're excited!" Hiromi commented with a giggle.

"I can't help it! I'll actually have a chance to meet _Peter Pan!_ " Toony cried happily, that huge smile still on her face as her eyes almost seemed to twinkle. "And all the lost boys, _oh!_ And Tinkerbell too!"

"I'm so flipping excited, I can't even, I- oh wow, I think I need to sit down..." she suddenly added as she sat down on a large stone. " _Whew_ , made myself dizzy."

"Toony, _focus_ , we're only stoppin' here to get a supply of pixie dust." came Marie's voice as the dark haired woman then stepped off the boat once she was sure it was secure with a large sack in one of her hands. "We don't have the time to goof around with a bunch of kids."

"Now c'mon, the sooner we find it, the sooner we can-"

But she stopped her sentence when she suddenly found that the person she was talking had at some point already gotten to her feet and far ahead of her, almost disappearing into the woods while she and the two winged balls of fluff animatedly talked amongst themselves; And though it wasn't intentional, they ended up leaving Marie behind.

"Heaven help me, you'd think she was a five-year-old on her first trip to Disney Land..." Marie muttered to herself as she hurried off to catch up to them.

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It hadn't been all that long since the band of four had left the beach in search of any residents of Neverland that may be able to tell them, but to Marie, it felt like they had already spent forever on this jungle like island as she had to listen to Toony, who seemed like she couldn't stay quiet for more than two seconds, gush over the idea of crossing paths with Neverlands most famous characters.

"...I think we left too soon, because what if we _do_ meet Peter and everyone?" Toony suddenly said. "Maybe I should head back and get some paper and pens real quick."

"Why do you need those?" Cheo asked curiously.

"For autographs, of course." the fox ears young woman answered with a big grin. "It's not every day a girl gets the chance to meet _the_ Peter Pan of Neverland."

At that, Marie finally had enough.

"Oh sure, and maybe after you do that, why don't you just try and convince a certain captain to give you his hook hand as a souvenir?" Marie began sarcastically as she rolled her hazel eyes in tired annoyance. "Will you just _pretend_ that you're a grown woman right now? We ain't to play around, in case you've forgotten."

"How can I when you go and remind me every five seconds, _Madame Buzzkill?_ " Toony asked, shaking her head disapprovingly. "You really need to lighten up some, I mean, you act like we've walked right into a danger zone in a war or something."

"We _are_ in a danger zone!" Marie insisted as she contained to carefully survey the thick woods around them and searching for any signs of movement. "Everythin' here is just as dangerous as it is back home, and I'm not sure about you, but _I_ for one don't wanna be stuck on a island filled with cut throat pirates and delinquent children any longer than I have to!"

"I'll 'lighten up' once we get that dust and get out of here!"

At that, Toony gave a laugh and put a hand on Marie's shoulder to stop her for a moment and talk.

"Come on Marie, though you may have a point about Hook and his crew, Peter and the boys really aren't that bad." she told her with an assuring smile.

"Hmm, maybe you're right Toony, a band of hoodlum boys runnin' around and doing whatever without the slightest hint of parental guidance isn't bad at all." Marie said with a dead pan tone of voice as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Excuse me, I may just have to sit down from the _overwhelming_ relief you just gave me."

"Oh ha-ha, who knew you could be so 'funny'..." Toony stated, choosing to ignore the sarcastic remark before she walked ahead with confidence. "Seriously though, we're _fine_ ; Hook's not here, and even though Peter and the lost boys may like to roughhouse, it's not like they're a bunch of little monsters."

No sooner did those words leave her mouth, they all froze when they heard a loud 'snap!' before Toony let out a surprised yelp when something suddenly grabbed around her ankle and yanked her entire leg out from under her so fast, she was left in a slightly confused state before she suddenly realized that she was hanging upside down by a hunting snare.

No doubt placed there by the very individuals she just defended.

Toony only hung there in silence for a minuet, but when her body slowly turned to where she could see Hiromi, Cheo and Marie, who had her hands on her hips with an unimpressed expression on her fair face, she gave a deep scowl.

"If you say 'I told you so', I'm gonna hit you..." Toony warned her in a low voice.

"And why would I say that? _Now_ I see that they're sweet and darlin' angels." Marie said, a half smirk appearing on her lips as Cheo and Hiromi unsuccessfully tried to contain their giggling behind their tiny paws as they hovered beside her. "You really proved me wrong, hun."

"Well kids aren't perfect, okay!" Toony yelled out, flailing her arms angrily. " Can you just help me please?!"

And for the first time since they met, Marie actually gave a small, sincere smile, letting out a short chuckle before she walked towards her dangling charge and took the dagger from her belt.

"Hang on, I'll get'cha down in a minuet." Marie said as she took one of Toony's arms and slung it over her shoulder before she began cutting at the thick rope.

But she had only gotten in a shallow cut before Toony's ears suddenly picked up a noise...

"Marie...Marie hold on a sec..." Toony began, closing her eyes to listen.

"Why? Don't tell me you actually _like_ all that blood rushin' to your head.." the dark haired woman joked.

" _Seriously_ , I hear something!" Toony urgently insisted, pointing to the left where the noise her ears were picking up was coming from. "It's getting closer!"

All joking aside, Marie went quiet and listened as well, and sure enough, she could hear it too...voices that were yelling loudly as they got closer and closer to them; Knowing that whoever, or whatever, they were would be upon them soon, Marie instantly dropped Toony off of her shoulder, unintentionally making the red head let out a startled yelp as she now swung back and forth by her foot.

But seeing as it couldn't be helped, the guide got into a fighting stance while Cheo and Hiromi flew closer to Toony, their large eyes even wider with fear.

They didn't have to wait in suspense for too much longer before several little bodies came bursting from the bushes, swinging around wooden swords, slingshots and heavy clubs as they all fought and scrambled over each other in order to be the first to reach their trap and whatever it was they caught; But as they did this, they kicked up quiet a dust cloud that sent Toony, Marie and the fluffballs into a coughing fit until they finally stopped moving long enough for the dust to settle.

Once it did, the two young women soon began to hear more yelling.

"Why should _you_ get first hit?!" a young voice demanded angrily.

"Cause the trap was _my_ idea, _that's_ why!" another voice retorted

"That's not fair though, you _always_ get first hit!" another young sounded voice whined.

"And _we_ were the ones who set the trap up in the first place!" two voices stated simultaneously.

After rubbing out all the dust from her eyes, Toony blinked and looked over to see who the voices belonged to before they widened with awe to discover that a very familiar bunch of young boys dressed in animal costumes were right there in front of her.

"It's the lost boys!" she stated in excitement before the half severed rope finally snapped in two under her weight and sent her crashing to the ground with a loud _'Oof!'_

The said lost boys took immediate notice from their squabbling when the thing that was caught in their trap was now on the ground, brandishing their 'weapons' as they intended to attack before it recovered and fled.

"It got free!" Slightly, the tallest boy dressed as a fox cried as he started towards her. "Get it before it runs away!"

But just when they were about to charge, and before Marie could make any move to intervene, the lost boys suddenly jumped on each other and once again began to bicker over who was going to land the first hit on the 'animal' they had just 'hunted'.

"Are they usually like this?" Marie finally asked after a few moments of jut watching.

"More or less." Toony affirmed with a shrug.

" **Atteeen-** _ **tion!**_ " a loud voice suddenly boomed over the ruckus, making the unruly boys instantly stop their fighting to just as quickly stand in salute with their chests puffed out and heads held high as an obedient soldier would to a commanding officer; And looking up, Toony's mouth dropped open as a familiar figure with red hair and dressed green outfit with a hat that had a bright red feather sticking out of it slowly descended from the sky until he came to a landing before the lost boys, his hands clasped tightly behind his back and a disapproving frown on his young face.

It was Peter Pan!

"Now, would one of you blockheads care to explain what all the fighting is about?!" Peter asked in a stern tone as he seemed to have taken no notice of the two women and fluffballs that were quietly watching behind him. "I send you on a hunting mission, but you're making so much noise!"

"Why, I wouldn't be surprised if ya scared all the animals right outta Neverland by now!"

"But we _did_ catch something, Pan!" the two boys dressed as raccoons, known as the Twins, told him as the pointed over at Toony. "It's right there!"

"Yeah, I tried to get it, but these morons stopped me!" Nibbs, the boy dressed as a rabbit piped angrily.

"You? _I_ was gonna get it!" Cubby, the largest boy dressed as a bear said loudly.

Peter let out a loud sigh as once again, his lost boys began to fight with each other, but he turned around to get a better look at what they claimed to have caught; Though as his eyes met with Toony, who was still staring up at him in total awe as she sat on the ground, he tilted his head to the side inquisitively before making her blink when he suddenly flew in close to her face and nearly touched her nose with his own.

"Hmm..." Peter began, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he studied her before he slowly gliding all around to get a better look; He gazed at that fluffy tail of hers, then he pinched the tip of one of her ears with his fingers and gave a few short, experimental tugs while Toony giggled as the action tickled some.

She thought that it was funny and super adorable that he was so curious, but as soon as he started touching her ears, Marie felt that the boy had crossed the line.

"Back off!" the guide growled as she quickly strode forwards in a threatening manner, making sure that he could see that she had a weapon in her hands to make it _very_ clear that she wasn't playing around in the slightest; Peter did back up, though he didn't seem at all concerned about Marie as he simply just crossed his arms and gave a big grin.

"Huh, well what'd'ya know..." he stated, catching the attention of the lost boys who had still been arguing with each other the whole time.

"Girl Pirates!"

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 **Welp, that's the end of the chapter X3 goodnight everybody, I sincerely hope you were able to enjoyed it.**

 **See ya tomorrow!**


	6. A Game of Tag

**Alrighty, here's chapter 6 for you guys, I hope you enjoy :D:D:D**

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 _Chapter 6: A Game of Tag_

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Toony and Maire looked up at each other, not really saying anything, but both thinking the same thing after they heard Peter Pans' little comment he used to address them...

 _Girl pirates?_

"What're ya sayin' Pan? I didn't think Hook would ever let girls join his crew." Slightly stated in confusion after his leaders announcement made the lost boys stop their quarreling as he pointed to Toony as Marie helped her to her feet and made her stand behind her. " That ones got animal ears, and a _tail_ , ain't it somethin' we can hunt?"

"Well sure, _she_ looks different, but I bet that's all part of Hooks plan!" Peter said. "That old codfish might be gettin' desperate to do me in, so he's gone and recruited girls to try and catch us off guard; What else can they be since they're too old to be anything else."

" _Old?!_ " Marie started indignantly. "You by far have to be the _rudest_ little-"

But she had to stop when she suddenly heard a kind of sniffling sound behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see that Toony had her mouth covered with both of her hands and her face was starting to turn red as she stared at the the boys with wide eyes; Literally trembling with the excitement she was trying to contain.

"Oh good lord." Marie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just hurry up and get it out...and for heavens sake, _breathe!_ "

At Marie's reluctant okay, Toony let out the biggest fan squeal she had ever uttered in her life, surprising Marie and startling the Neverland boys in the processes.

"Holy muffins it's really _you!_ " Toony cried giddily, hopping closer to them with every word. "Peter Pan and the lost boys!"

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she was practically starry eyed as she looked over each and every one of them. "I've always wanted to meet you all, this is a dream come true!"

"Wow, she seems awful nice to be one of Hooks Pirates." Nibs whispered with surprise.

"And she doesn't act much like any old grown up, neither." Cubby added.

"Maybe it's some pirate trick to catch us off guard, like Pan said!" Slightly said suspiciously.

"Oh believe me, if we were pirates, I'd make her walk the plank for such behavior..." Marie said dryly.

"Well if you're not one of Hooks crew, then how do you know about us?" Peter asked, scratching his head in confusion. "Most grown ups forget about anything to do with Neverland when they get too old to care about it."

"Not me, I totally adore your mov-er, _stories_ , way too much to ever forget them!" Toony told him, thankfully managing to catch herself before she slipped up; It would have been pretty awkward to to tell the boys that she regularly watched them on a screen all throughout her childhood and still did in adult hood.

"Really?" Peter asked, a rather happy grin appearing on his face.

"Absolutely!" Toony assured him, returning the smile. "Gosh, you're all so much cuter now that I'm meeting you in person."

Though as she looked over the boys, she suddenly noticed that the youngest member wasn't present among them.

"Hey, where's-"

But she didn't get a chance to finish her question when she suddenly heard a rustling in the thick leaves above her before there was a loud SNAP that was followed by a small black and white figure falling out from them.

With a gasp, Toony lifted her arms and managed to catch it before it hit the ground, and she blinked in surprise at seeing that it was the youngest lost boy who always dressed as a skunk smiling shyly up at her; For how long or for whatever reason he was up there, she couldn't say for sure, but after she got over her initial shock, she was still so happy to have all the lost boys present and accounted for.

"Haha, well _there_ you are, Tootles." Toony said as she cuddled him closer, and nuzzling a freckled cheek against his own, to which he allowed with his usual silent smile

After that, she suddenly felt hands grab at the bottom of her sweater and tug on it a little before she looked down to see the Twins looking up at her with expectant and rather hopeful stares.

"Did you come here to be our new mother?" they curiously asked at the same time.

Toony looked at them with a tiny bit of surprise at their question, then she gently shook her head while a flattered smile appeared on her lips; But before she could even attempt to gently explain to them that being their mother was not what she was there for, Marie's voice cut through the air and she walked over while she furiously waved her arms back in forth, expressing her clear disapprove.

"Nope! no, no! _Nobody_ is becomin' _anyone's_ mother!" Marie suddenly started, waving her arms as she moved herself in the middle of the group, roughly snatching Tootles from Toony's arms and setting him down on the ground with his friends. "We ain't for pleasantries!"

 _*Hey! Don't you treat Tootles like that!*_ a little voice yelled out before a glowing little ball zoomed out of nowhere and flew up to Marie's face, so close, that it made the woman back up a few paces before they realized that it was Peter's very angry fairy companion.

 _*Just who do you think you are? Coming here and acting like you can do and say whatever you want because you're grown ups?!_ * the little pixie continued, shaking her tiny finger at Marie as she started glowing red with every word. _*We have enough of a problem with Hook and his goons without two more big, dumb lady clumsies adding to the trouble!*_

"Oh _wow_ , it's Tinkerbell..." Toony said in a breathless whisper, ignoring Tinkerbells' angry rant as she admired the fairy's' lovely little wings and soft golden glow. "The stories don't do you justice, you're so much prettier in person!"

Tinkerbell seemed taken aback by the flattery this strange, fox eared adult gave her, but she quickly covered it up by crossing her arms and turning her little nose up in the air.

 _*Humph,_ _don't think I'll fall for your grown up tricks because you say such nice words!*_ she said firmly.

"Well, I have no tricks, I'm just telling the truth." Toony assured her with a grin. "I'm so happy to meet you all."

 _*Like I'll believe that! You can never trust a grown up because all they ever do is-*_ But then she stopped when she suddenly realized something and turned back to stare at Toony in shock. _*Wait, can you...understand me?*_

And at that, Toony gave a gasp when she too realized that she really could hear words instead of the usual, bell like tinkling the little fairy made when she spoke.

"Oh...I guess I _can_." Toony stated in surprise before she turned to her guide with a curious expression. "Can't you understand what Tinkerbell's saying, Marie?"

"All I hear is an endless ding-a-lingin'." Marie stated, clearly annoyed by this whole ordeal.

"We can understand her, Toony!" Cheo said as he and Hirmoi flew closer to Tinkerbell, happy that there was someone closer to their size present while Tinkerbell regarded them with her own fascination.

"It's because of your bracelet," Hiromi explained. "The magic works for us a little bit too, we're special 'cause you made us!"

Toony blinked in amazement before she looked down at the bangle she wore on her wrist, the gold band glinting and beautiful jewels shimmering in the sunlight; Magic...the stuff was freaking awesome!

"Honestly, do you have to 'ooo' and 'aaa' at _every_ little thing?" Marie suddenly asked. "I'm gettin' really tired of reminding you that we have a job to do, and it's much more important than sticking around here with bunch of kids and firefly with an attitude!"

 _*No one asked you, you old stinkbug!*_ Tinkerbell stated as she raced around gave a sharp tug on a lock of Maries dark brown hair, to which Marie just gave a light swat with her hand to make her flit away as she gave Tinkerbell an annoyed glare.

"Lord, this thing is such a pest!" She commented. " If these little bugs are always this irritating, then am I ever grateful that there's no such thing as-"

" _ **HEY!**_ " Toony, Peter and the boys all yelled, stopping her from finishing her sentence.

"Are you kidding me?!" Toony demanded. "Saying something like that when Tinkerbell's _right here?_ "

"What? Will I hurt her feelings?" Marie questioned in a sarcastic tone.

"Kill her is more like it!" The redhead stated, giving an angry huff as she put her hands on her hips."Don't you know _anything_ about Neverland fairies?!"

"All I need know is that they have something we need to get this show back on the road." The dark haired woman said. "So if you're such an expert on fairies, then 'expertly' tell her to give us what we came for so we can be on our way!"

She tried to hand Toony the large sack that she had brought with her, as though she intend for her to ask Tinkerbell to fill it up right on the spot. But the red head only pushed it back with a disapproving look at how demanding and impatient she was being.

"Marie, be reasonable, we can't just ask Tinkerbell for that much dust, she won't be able to fly if we take all she has." Toony said.

"Dust? Do you mean pixie dust?" Peter asked. "What'dya need that for?"

"It's kind of a long story, but besides that, Marie, just one fairy wouldn't be able to give us what we'll need anyway." Toony explained, thinking a little before an idea came to her. "But I think I know a place that should _definitely_ have it..."

"Peter," She began, turning back to the boys. "Do you think you and the boys could help us get to Pixie Hallow?"

"Ya mean that place where Tink's from?" Nibs asked, sharing looks with his friends

 _*You can't go to Pixie Hallow!*_ Tinkerbell said, almost outraged that her home was even brought up. _*There's rules, you know, clumsies aren't allowed to go there whenever they feel like it!*_

"She has a point." Peter said. "Even me and the lost boys aren't allowed in Pixie Hallow unless it's for a really good reason."

"Aw, that place is boring anyway!" Cubby suddenly said, waving a dismissive hand. "You have ta be all careful and stuff, so why don't we all just play here?"

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Slightly said with an eager nod.

"Lets play! Lets play!" the Twins chimed excitedly.

"Ya'll must've knocked the sense right outta your heads if you think we're gonna play a game when we have work to do!" Marie said, a deep, unamused frown set upon her fair features.

"Aww, you're no fun!" the lost boys whined in disappointment.

"I'll play with you guys." Toony suddenly said, much to the lost boys joy and Maries' shock.

" _Toony!_ " Marie stated in exasperation.

"But let's make it even _more_ fun," Toony began, ignoring her guide as a playful smirk spread across her lips. "Let's make a bet."

That seemed to grab their attention, and thoroughly enticed by Toonys' suggestion, Peter gave an amused smile and he hovered closer the fox eared woman.

"A bet?" he asked in a challenging tone.

"Sure." Toony said with a nod. "If we win, then you have to take us to Pixie Hallow so we can get the pixie dust we need for our journey."

"Hmm, alright..." Peter began, his smile growing even wider. "But if _we_ win, you two have to be our new mothers."

Marie tried to voice her protest to the whole thing, but she was never given a chance as Toony stepped forward with her arms crossed over her chest in an authoritative manner.

"Not forever, though, give a length of time that would be fair to us since we _are_ technically on a mission." Toony said.

"Two years." Peter offered.

"Make it one year and I'll spend every day playing games and every night telling stories and singing lullabies." Toony countered, holding out a hand towards the boy who never grew up.

"Deal." Peter agreed, giving her hand a firm shake.

"But what should we play?" the Twins asked.

 _*If we're really doing this, then let's play fairy tag.*_ Tinkerbell suggested with a sigh, once Peter made a deal, the only thing she could do was follow along. _*You know, since it's pixie dust we're betting on.*_

"Sure, Tink, fairy tag sounds great!" Peter said.

"And just what in the world is fairy tag?" Marie asked.

"It's a _little_ like regular tag." Toony explained. " But instead of one person being 'it', there's a whole group... _aaand_ it's supposed to be played in the air."

"Then just how do you expect _us_ to do that?" Marie demanded, turning to Peter with a heated expression and putting her hands on her hips. "That ain't at all fair since _we_ can't fly!"

"Well that's the easy part... _kinda._ " Peter began as he turned to his little fairy friend. "Tink, you know what to do."

Tinkerbell gave a quick nod before she zoomed over and circled around Toony, a sense of pride filling her chest when she noticed that the fox eared young woman marveled at the pixie dust as it softly fell around her like glittering gold snowflakes; But when it was Maries' turn, she almost didn't do it on account that she still didn't like her...but remembering that Peter made a deal, and not wanting to be the one who broke it, she quickly covered her with pixie dust as well.

Though she did come to a stop right before her face, and after sharing a mutual glare with Marie, she turned her face in the air and sharply whirled around before she gave a disrespectful backwards sweep with both of her tiny feet; Pretending that she was kicking up sand into Marie's face, much the the woman's rage as she tried to rubbed the shimmering grains out of her eyes.

"Why you little hussy!" Marie started angrily. "I should-"

"Alright, that should do it!" Peter said, cutting her off as Tinkerbell flew over to him and sat on her shoulder while she smirked to herself.

Toony rubbed the pixie dust between her fingers for a moment, then she looked up at the hero of Neverland with an expression of wonder and yearning.

"You mean...we can fly now?" she asked in a soft, rather hopeful tone.

"Well, that's the idea." Peter said cheerfully. "Though seein' as you both are grown ups, it might be a little hard for you to-"

But he didn't have the chance to finish his sentence when a red and tan blur zoomed past him, sending both Tinkerbell and himself cartwheeling in the air from the force of the wind it made; And shaking his head in surprise once he finally righted himself, he saw an equally surprised Marie standing by herself before he looked up at the rapidly ascending form of what could only be Toony.

"Ha, I guess it isn't all that hard for grown ups after all." Peter said with a grin while Marie silently just watched as her charge disappeared into the clouds...

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 **Okay, there's the end of the chapter. And you know what, I have a little more time than I thought to get one more chapter polished off and posted. Stay tuned for the next:D:D:D**

 **And let me know of any spelling or grammar errors you find! X3**


	7. Different Wavelengths

**Yaaay! one more chapter for the day*dances a little jig***

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 _Chapter 7: Different Wavelengths_

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Flying...

She was really _flying!_

Only in Toony's most wildest dreams could she ever do this, but now that she was actually flying, none of those dreams could even come close to the real thing!

She let out an elated laugh as upwards she sailed through the beautiful blue sky, through the puffy white clouds, faster and higher as she could dare like a bird that had been set free from a cage; and only when the island almost looked big enough to hold in her hand did she finally slow to a stop, closing her eyes and letting herself fall...

Strands of her hair lightly stung her cheeks and the wind whistled loudly in her sensitive ears as closer and closer she fell towards the sparkling waters of the beautiful ocean; And just when it looked like she was about to hit the crystal blue waves, that was when she stopped herself, making the water splash with wind force before she was zooming around once more, giving a wide, excited smile at her reflection before she flew back towards the island.

It was only once she reached the beautiful, lush greenery she she finally slow down, still positively beaming when her two fluffballs managed to catch up to her.

Wow, Toony, you were flying like you were always able to!" Hiromi exclaimed.

"You sure look like you're having fun!" Cheo stated with a big grin.

"Oh I am, I _really_ am!" Toony said as she closed her eyes and laid her head back on her arms in a relaxing manner. " I wish this could last forever."

"Well, it _could_ if you stayed here with us..." a voice told her, making her turn to see Peter, who was floating beside her with his arms crossed over his chest and a smile on his face that made it seem like he had an offer that someone would be crazy not to accept. "Just so you know."

"Tempting, I'll admit, but we still have places to go." Toony said with a smirk; But boy, she wasn't lying in the least that it really was very tempting.

When Toony, Peter and the fluffballs made it back to where the lost boys and Marie were waiting, they broke off into their own groups, Toony and her companions in one, and the Neverland residents on the other.

"Okay, so the rules are gonna be a little different from actual fairy tag since none of us besides Tink have fairy talents; So instead, if anyone gets tagged, then they all meet up in this spot until the game is over." Peter announce. " Me, Tink and the lost boys will be one group, and you're group is 'it' Toony."

"And if you guys can't catch us all by the time your pixie dust wears off, then you lose the game and become our mothers for one year."

"You got it Peter!" Toony said. "But, if we _do_ win, then Tinkerbell leads us to Pixie Hollow so we can stock up on pixie dust."

"Right." Peter said with a nod of agreement. "Okay then, is everyone ready?"

With the exception of Marie, The lost boys and even Cheo and Hiromi gave excited whoops as the majority of those dusted with Tinkerbells' golden pixie dust soon levitated in the air, getting ready to take off at any moment when Peter would give the word.

Even Toony couldn't help but smile with eagerness as her tail swished back and forth as she tried decide who was going to be first on her tagging list...

"GO!" Peter suddenly bellowed, he, Tinkerbell and the lost boys scattering every which way, Cheo and Hiromi instantly took off after members of the lost boys. But there was one that got a bit caught up in the scramble, and he hovered there stunned for a bit before he realized that Toony was still there as well before he gave a yelp and quickly dashed away into the trees.

Looks like Cubby was going to be the first victim.

Considering how clumsy he was, the largest lost boy actually put up a pretty good chase; And whether he meant to or not, he managed to successfully evade a few of her attempts to tag him and managed to pull ahead of her.

But, as he started to feel a little more confident in himself, he made the mistake to glance over his shoulder to see how far behind she was and ended up getting caught in the middle of two skinny trees; He tried to push himself out, but he was stuck tight.

"Aw _maaan_." he whined just as Toony floated down into view, trying hard for his sake to contain her laughter.

"Sorry Cubby, maybe you'll get away next time." she said with a smile as she gave a soft tap on his blonde head before she turned to fly away.

"Um, Toony?" Cubby suddenly started, making her stop and look back at him. "Before you keep playin', can you get me out first?"

"Sure sweetie," Toony said with a light chuckle as she flew up to the wider space between the two trees and got in the middle before she pressed her back again one and planted her feet against the other; grunting as she began to push them apart to try and make it wide enough for Cubby to slip through.

And while the fox eared young woman was helping the largest lost boy, the racoon twins zoomed by, zigzagging in perfect sync with each other as Cheo and Hiromi hurried after them.

They were giving a pretty good chase, but just when they thought they were going to be able to tag a ringed tail, the Twins would give another burst of speed and stretch ahead; and try as they might, the two little fluff balls could only flap their wings just fast enough to keep them in their sights.

"Haha! You hairy fairies can't catch us!" the Twins taunted just before they suddenly split up. Cheo and Hiromi only pause for a second to look share a look with each other and wordlessly gave an affirmative nod as they each took off after one of the Twins.

But no matter how hard they tried, it was just the same as before with them just barley even able to keep up with their targets.

The twins on the other hand, were having a blast, especially when they were teasing their pursuers; slowing down just enough to were they were just within the fluff balls reach before they speed ahead of them.

"Just face it!-" One Twin said, flipping over in order watch Cheo get left in the dust as he flew around a bundle of trees.

"-You won't ever catch us!" the other Twin stated, doing the same thing to Hiromi and giving a little wave goodbye.

 _ **CRASH!**_

The twins were rattled when they hit something full on from behind, and when they dropped down in a dazed heap to the ground, they were still a bit too stunned to realize that they had flown right into each other, or even move for that matter as stars seemed to dance before their eyes while Cheo and Hiromi flew down and hovered before each of the Twins faces, giving each other a nervous smile as they weren't sure if they should laugh or feel sorry for them.

"That didn't look like it felt too good, Cheo," Hiromi commented, opting to show more concern while her counter part just waved it off with a catty grin.

"Aw, they'll be fine in a little while, Romi, don't worry." He assured her, tagging the twin he was closest to with a soft pat on his head with a little paw; And figuring that he was right, Hiromi did the same with the other identical lost boy before the two of them flew off to regroup with Toony.

Though while Toony and the fluffballs were hard at work trying to find and tag all the members of the opposite team, Marie was still on the ground, sitting on a moss covered log with one foot tapping in a rapid, impatient pace. For the life of her, she just didn't understand why Toony would want to partake in such childish nonsense when she had such an important quest to hurry and finish; Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to get one of the boys to tell them where Pixie Hollow is, maybe bribe them with some sweets or something other than risking a year of their lives baby sitting a bunch of kids...

But she was jolted from her thoughts when she realized that she wasn't alone, and glanced down to see the the little lost boy dressed as a skunk standing at her side and just staring up at her silently...Tootles, was it?

"What're _you_ staring at?" she demanded, cautiously leaning back when Tootles suddenly scooted closer to her, still looking up at her with that freckled smile that never seemed to leave his face; And before Marie could tell him to get lost, Tootles suddenly took her wrist and placed it on the top of his head, making her stare at him in surprise at first...did he just make her tag him?

That was odd, wasn't the point of playing tag to _avoid_ getting tagged?

"Would you let go of me?!" Marie demanded, yanking her hand out from Tootles' grasp when she realized he was still holding on to it. But instead of appearing put off by Marie's gruffness, Tootles just gave a large grin as though he was silently laughing before he raced away and disappeared into the bushes.

"I swear, the children in these Disney worlds are the strangest things..." The dark haired woman commented before familiar laughing brought her attention up just in time to see Toony sail over the tree tops, playing with both Cheo and Hiromi as they continued to search for Peter and the rest of the boys.

"Alright, you guys check over on that side, And I'll go this way." Toony instructed before the fluffballs each gave giggling salutes. And as Marie watched them disappear, she gave a deep frown as her brow furrowed in slight anger and annoyance...

She was only a hairs width away from having just about enough of this!

Mean while, Nibs and Slightly where both hiding in a hollowed out tree that was broken off halfway up the middle. And after a while of silence and no sight or sound of anyone outside, the fox dressed lost boy chanced a whisper.

"Hey, look out and see if you can spot you any of 'em!" Slightly ordered in a hushed tone to Nibbs

"No way, _you_ see if you can spot 'em!" the little Rabbit boy said.

They didn't realize how loud they were getting, but after a few moments, they both came to a sudden halt when they both hear a soft " _Ahem..._ "

And looking up, they let out startled yelps to see Toony looking down at them with an amused grin.

"You know, I don't think hiding out anywhere is part of the game..." she commented before they rushed out of the trunk and tried to fly away in different directions. But the young woman was too fast and she grabbed Slightly by his tail and Nibbs by his long rabbit ears, earning a disappointed _'aww'_ from each of them before she gave a short laugh and let them go.

"Better luck next time, guys." she said as she flew off in search of her next target, leaving the two boys to argue once again with each other over whose fault it was that they got caught.

It was then a green glad figure zoomed by at her right and she just managed to catch a glimpse of Peter Pan as he was effortlessly evading Cheo and Hiromi almost tauntingly.

"Whoa, almost!" Peter teased, spinning around to the left as Cheo dived down to tag him before yanking his legs away when Hiromi tried to latch on to his right ankle. "Come on, you can do better than _that_ , can't'cha? You'll have to if you wanna catch _me!_ "

He then pulled ahead of them, making them flap their wings faster before he suddenly put on the breaks, making the fluffballs accidentally zoom past him and struggle to slow down and correct themselves.

"I'm the best flier in all of Neverland!" Peter bragged as he continued to dodge Cheo and Hiromi. "I'm the fastest, the strongest, the smartest..."

"The mouthiest?"

"Yeah, the mouth- _whoa!_ " Peter whirled around, gasping when he saw the fox eared young woman. But before he could could even think of flying away, Toony's hand shot forward and she poked the tip of his nose with a finger, winking an eye as a victorious smile spread across her face.

"You should probably ease up on the bragging when you have more that one opponent who can fly, hun" the red headed woman said, sticking her tongue out playfully

"Oh well, then I guess there's only one more of us for you to get then." Peter said with a shrug. "Good luck Toony, you'll need it!"

Not five seconds after Peter left to regroup with the lost boys, that was when a golden glow sailed over her head and came to a stop right before Toony and her fluffballs, the glow dimming just enough to see a little figure with a confident smirk on her pretty face.

It was Tinkerbell.

"You're the last one Tink!" Toony said with a grin, bringing her hands up as though she was a cat that was about to pounce on a bird.

 _*Don't be so confident, clumsy!*_ Tinkerbell warned smugly. _* I may not be a fast flying fairy, but I'm still very quick!*_

"That's a good thing, then!" Toony said before she and her fluffballs launched themselves forward. But Tinkerbell just zoomed away, almost faster than a blink of an eye and was racing away.

True to her word, Tinkerbell was indeed very quick, every which way Toony, Cheo and Hiromi tried to catch her, she'd just narrowly escape them and end up flying even further away. But no matter how fast she was going, Toony managed to stay right on her tail.

Zigging, zagging and looping around obstacles, Tinkerbell was doing everything and going everywhere should could to loose her; But the little fairy was quickly realizing that this wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.

Toony was relentless, even as Cheo and Hiromi fell behind, the young woman just kept her eyes focused on Tinkerbells soft light, never loosing sight of it as she gradually began to get closer and closer until she thought she was just about to reach her...

Until Tinkerbell veered sharply to the right and the sight of a rapidly approaching Marie standing directly in her path made her let out a yelp and quickly put on the brakes; She felt Cheo and Hiromi collide into her back from her sudden decreases in speed, and she let out a sigh of relief when she finally came to a stop directly before their guide, creating a breeze that kicked up a little dust and slightly rustled Maries' white blouse and her long brown hair.

"...Enjoying yourself?" Marie asked with a dry tone, her arms crossed and a frown on her face as though she had just caught a child doing something that they shouldn't have.

"Well gosh, am I being subtle about it?" Toony asked with a grin before she took her guide by the wrist and began pulling her along. " Marie _come on_ , come flying with me, we'll catch Tinkerbell for sure if we work together!"

"All you gotta do is think happy thoughts and you'll be in the air!"

But she stopped when Marie suddenly yanked her arm away. "I'm perfectly happy with my feet on the ground, thank you very much!"

"You don't _look_ very happy..." Toony remarked under her breath. "Look, I feel like we're kinda stuck on different wavelengths here, why don't you just _try_ flying and see if it-"

"Toony, we've got a _job_ to do, here!" Maire harshly interrupted. "Is it really _that_ hard for you to act your age and be productive about this?"

"Hey, I'm _trying_ to get us pixie dust, aren't I?" the good feeling she had before disappearing at Marie's pushiness as Cheo, Hiromi, Peter and the lost boys began to take notice of the altercation between the two women. "Maybe if you actually helped out, we'd win the game faster!"

"We wouldn't need to play a game if you'd just make one of the boys tell us where this Pixie Hollow was!" Marie snapped. " Maybe it's not too late, we have lots of things at the boat, maybe we can _trade_ them something for it's location!"

"I already know where Pixie Hollow is, it's in the heart of Neverland at the very center of the island." Toony told her, waving off her suggestion. "But I want to do it _this_ way, this is something that they all understand and like."

At that, Marie just started at her, looking as though she watched Toony's lips move but wasn't sure if she heard any words.

"...So you mean to tell me, you knew where Pixie Hollow was _this whole time_...and _still_ you'd rather to play a stupid game when you have so much on the line?!" Marie asked slowly, her voice rising with each word.

"I wouldn't have made a bet if I didn't think we could win, and like I said, this is something they like, plus, it would be better for the residents of Pixie Hollow if Tinkerbell led us there rather then two humans just show up out of nowhere." Toony began carefully. "Things will much easier for everyone if we all just play the game out."

"This is _not_ a game!" Maire snapped, almost shouting. "And If you think I would ever take any part in such childish malarkey, then you're sorely mistaken!"

Toony could only stare at her guide as she began to walk away at first, and as her fluffballs and the Neverland boys watched as an angry expression came over her face, they couldn't help but feel a little worried at the storm that was about to go down...

"Have I done something to _offend_ you in some way?!" Toony demanded, flying in front of Marie's path to make her stop. " Because I'd hate to make the assumption that your _always_ this mean!"

" _Mean?!_ " Marie repeated, appearing truly surprised.

"Yes, mean! Since the _second_ we met, all you've been is aloof and callous towards me! Dodging my questions and shooting down anything I say!" Toony began as the anger she was feeling slowly began to make her descend from the air until her feet were back on the ground; But she didn't really seem to notice or care as she began to irritably pace back in forth.

"I mean, I seriously don't have _any_ idea what you're like besides the fact that you're bossy and seem to be adamantly against the very _idea_ of enjoying yourself while we work!" the red head continued, her ears flat and her tail swishing side to side with her growing agitation. " I don't know what any your interests are, where you come from, what you did before we came here, whether or not if you have a family."

"I don't even know what your favorite candy is!"

" _Why_ do you need to know what my favorite _candy_ is?!" Marie demanded, shaking her head as though it were the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard. "See, it's when you find senseless junk like _that_ important that makes me think we won't get anywhere very fast on this mission!"

"Guys, please don't fight..." Cheo began hesitantly as he and Hiromi felt the tensions begin to escalate between their creator and guide.

" _Hush!_ " both Toony and Marie snapped, making Cheo zip his mouth and quickly hide behind Hiromi before the two women rounded back on each other.

"Call me weird, but sometimes the 'senseless' things are what I like learning about a persons character the best!" Toony said, her hands rested firmly on her hips. "Is it really so dumb that I want to try and get to know you a little better? Because let me tell you, it's a little hard for me to even want try anymore!"

"If you just loosened up and _tried_ to be anything but a 'stick in the mud', then maybe you wouldn't seem so much like...like such a stuck up _prude!_ "

" _I'm_ not the one who obviously wants to horse around _more_ than she wants to return home and back to the people she loves as quickly as she can!" Marie snapped, shocking her fox eared charged into a stunned silence at the harsh accusation she received.

"I've had enough!" the guide suddenly stated, angrily walking past Toony towards the thick foliage of the woods to just get away from everything. "If we did this _my_ way, I guarantee that we'd get results quicker than this hogwash game of yours!"

"Come and find me when you're ready to grow up and take this seriously!"

"Maybe I _won't!_ " Toony yelled at her retreating form after finally finding her voice again. "If you're gonna be like _that_ , then you can just go and wallow in your own controlling...cynical... _meanness_ for all I care!"

And with an angry growl, Toony whirled around and began stomping away in the opposite direction while Cheo and Hiromi quietly followed after her; Neither of them saying anything to their fuming creator for a long while until Hiromi finally decided to say the first word.

"Toony, please don't stay mad at Marie..." Hiromi began in a soft voice. "She's really not so mean."

"Well then give the woman an Oscar, because she sure fooled me!" Toony said bitterly.

"I think she's just scared, Toony." Cheo assured her. "I know that it doesn't look that way, but she really is. I think because she wants you to go home safe..."

"Maybe that's way she got so mad."

Even though she really didn't want to, Toony had to admit that they were right...she knew plenty of people, both in her family and friends, who sometimes came off as rude or even cruel when they were worried about someone, even more so when it came to safety...but as she caught sight of Tinkerbells' glow sailing over head, she just didn't have the time or the energy to deal with it at this moment.

"Well, either way,I'm just gonna forget about it right now." Toony said with a heavy sigh. "That shot of pixie dust could starting wearing off soon, so if I want to catch Tinkerbell, I need to get my happy on."

And without another word, Toony was up in the air to try and track down Tinkerbell. But as angry as she felt, she wasn't the only one who was fuming as her guide continued to stomp through the forest as she made her way back towards their vessel at the beach...

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Marie was so mad one could almost swear they could see static crackling in the air around her as she trudged through the thick greenery, furiously muttering to herself.

"I can't _believe_ that girl!" Marie growled under her breath, her southern accent thickening in her angry state. "A full grown woman and she'd rather play some game with a bunch of brats and a diva the size of my thumb than just go and _get_ what we need!"

"Does she really not want to go home? Is _that_ it?!" she asked herself a bit louder as she snapped a thin, innocent, low hanging branch that was in her path in a red rage. "Is all this just gonna turn out to be a big waste of time?! Why does she have to be so stubborn and difficult and _stubborn_ and...and... _RAAH!_ "

She then kicked a good sized rock, making it sail over into the bushes ahead of her and jostling them...but then, to her surprise, the dark leaves _kept_ rustling as a body moved through.

Thinking that she had disturbed a hungry creature that had been hiding in them, she quickly got into a defensive stance, clutching the the handle of the knife at her belt until...Tootles stepped out into the open.

Marie too her hand off of her knife and relaxed slightly upon seeing that it wasn't some dangerous wild animal, but as she noticed the youngest lost boy standing before her with a smile and both hands behind his back as hiding something from her brought back the anger she was feeling before.

" _You_ again?! Just what do you _want?!_ " the dark haired woman snapped irritably. "I'm in a rotten mood, so I _swear_ if you've come to give me trouble, I'll-"

But she didn't get to finish her threat when Tootles suddenly presented a bundle of clumsily picked daisies from behind him, catching Marie completely off guard as she stared silently at the unexpected bouquet the littlest lost boy was offering to her.

"Okay...what's going on in that rowdy lost boy head of yours?" Marie asked suspiciously. " Is there something hiding in there that bites? Stings? A little of both?"

Tootles quickly shook his head, crossing his fingers over his heart before coming closer to her and lifting the flowers higher, a sweet smile upon his lips before Marie finally understood what he was trying to do...

It was just a peace offering.

Marie only stared at it at first, but after a few moments, she finally let out a loud sigh, dropping her hostility and plopped herself down on a large stone with a flat surface; crossing her arms over her chest as she stared down at the young child with a rather exhausted expression on her face.

"You don't talk much, do you?" she asked, coming off a little more rude than she really intended to.

But Tootles only gave a shrug of his shoulders, that smile never leaving his freckled face. It was enough for Marie to finally return it with a small smile of her own while she slowly accepted the flowers from him

"Huh, then I guess this means Toony was right," She said as she gently patted his head. "You boys aren't such little monsters after all...and that _also_ means I haven't been exactly fair to anyone, _especially_ to her."

She bowed her head as an expression of regret came across her olive features, but when feeling of tiny hands giving a soft squeeze around her fingers made her open her eyes and look down at the little boy; She blinked in mild surprise when he still showed her that ever cheerful smile and even gave her a comforting pat on the back of her hand that told her it was alright.

And after a few moments, she could help but return it with a small smile of her own.

"Well...when I know I've been wrong, I apologize for it." she announced as she stood up. " Would you like come with me and meet back up with Toony and the others so I can say I'm sorry?"

Tootles excitedly jumped in the air, eagerly nodding his head before she took her by the hand again and started to lead her back to where he knew his friends would be. And while Marie gave short chuckle at his enthusiasm, the good feeling she had was shot lived when she suddenly felt a large, rough skinned hand suddenly clasp itself over her mouth and a strong arm wrapped around her waist in an iron grip...

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 **I hope you all enjoyed the extra chapter! I'll post again tomorrow :D**

 **See ya later!**


	8. Unexpected Interferance

**Hey, Toony's back with another chapter :D:D:D Sorry this took me a bit longer to post, was celebrating my mother-in-laws' birthday today :D:D:D**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

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_Chapter 8: Unexpected Interference_

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 _*What's wrong with you, clumsy? *_ Tinkerbell taunted as she once again evaded a desperate grab of Toony's hands before she pulled further ahead. _*You seemed so sure you could catch me, but you're never gonna if you don't do better than this!*_

Toony didn't bother with a reply as she struggled to keep up with the little glowing fairy, but she did grit her teeth in frustration because she knew that Tinkerbell was right... her head just wasn't in the game anymore.

That fight she had with Marie sucked out all the joy she was having for this bet before; and the more she thought about it, she still didn't know whether it was because she was still angry at Maries' controlling, standoffish behavior...or because she felt guilty when she realized that her guide may have been right...

Toony kept telling herself over and over that she was doing what she thought was the best way, but there was a tiny voice nagging at the very back of her mind...was she really not being serious enough in getting the Pixie Dust? Was she just needlessly dragging things out so she could stay longer and have a little more fun?

Eventually, she just tried to put it out of her thoughts because it certainly wasn't helping her situation at all as it was starting to get harder and harder to stay in the air.

Because if she didn't, then she was going to run out of pixie dust and lose the game if she didn't concentrate on catching Tinkerbell before her time was up.

Suddenly, Tinkerbell suddenly took a sharp, vertical rise and propelled up through the leafy trees, making Toony shield her face as she followed after her before she made it to open sky over the tree; And for a split second, Toony felt a little afraid when she thought she had lost sight of her, but eventually, she spotted that familiar golden glow to her her left and steadily climbing higher and higher into the sky.

No doubt the little pixie was intending to loose her pursuer within the cluster of puffy white clouds that lay ahead.

Toony started after her, but a dark shape moving around in the sky above made her glance up. It was a bit far to make out at first, but staring at it for a moment, her eyes widened at the realization that it was a Hawk circling in the sky. A predator that hunted and ate small animals...Fairies included.

And as Toony gave a gasp to see it suddenly pause before dive bombing straight down, she wouldn't need three guesses to figure out that Tinkerbell was gonna be on it's menu...

"Tink!" Toony cried out in concern, making herself fly after her faster. "Tinkerbell stop! Above you!"

 _*Ha! No way I'm falling for that old trick!*_ the golden fairy laughed, still unaware of the advancing danger as she playfully stuck her tongue and blew a raspberry at the redheaded woman.

"Tinkerbell! _Hawk!_ " Toony desperately yelled.

At that, Tinkerbell finally decided to think that Toony was being serious; But as she looked up to see that rapidly descending hunter, claws outstretched and ready to claim it's prize, her body suddenly froze and all she could do was stare at it in horror...

Using all she could muster, Toony shot forward with a burst of speed and flew over Tinkerbell, blocking her from hawks vision that caused the bird to let out squawk of surprise at the sudden, unexpected interference in it's hunt before it began flapping it's wings rapidly to try and stop itself.

But it was too late, it barreled into her with so much force that it sent them both plummeting towards the island.

She cried out as her hair was pulled by the hawks talons and her face was smacked by it's feathery wings; and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't pull away from it. And the fact that she was falling towards her doom didn't help matters either.

Finally, the hawk managed to break free from her with an angry screech and went on it's way since the prey it was stalking was more than likely gone by now, But Toony was in trouble... she couldn't get herself fly.

Her breaths came out so short and fast it felt like she was about to pass out from hyperventilation as she tried to force herself to ignore the horrid feeling in her stomach, the wind roaring in her ears and the rapidly approaching ground; And instead, she desperately tried to think happy thoughts if she had even a trace of pixie dust left...but nothing was working.

And with no way to save herself, all Toony could do was squeeze her eyes shut and let out a scream...

...Only for it to be cut short as she came to a sudden stop in mid-air when she felt hands tightly grab her wrists, under her arms and around her waist and tail that made her open her eyes to see that Peter and the lost boys had all come to her rescue; And with concerned expressions on their faces, they slowly descended until her feet gently touched back down on the earth.

But as her legs felt like jell-o after her fall, Toony sank down to her knees, white as a sheet and trembling slightly as she tried to calm herself down.

"You okay, Toony?" she heard Peter ask softly.

"Toony!" she didn't even have the strength to react when Cheo and Hiromi came flying into her arms, nearly in tears as they clutched at her cloths with their tiny paws.

"We heard you scream, and then we saw you falling!" Cheo cried.

"You scared us, we thought you were gonna hit the ground!" Hiromi added, squeezing her eyes tightly from the terrible picture she had in her head.

Toony then felt hands on her back and rubbing it soothingly, making her look to see that the Twins were on either side of her.

"You're not hurt, are you?" They asked her worriedly.

"You were falling super fast, we're lucky we got to ya in time." Slightly commented.

Toony tried to speak, but it felt like her voice was caught in her throat; and as she worked on trying to get it unstuck, that was when Tinkerbell came flying down to meet them, a big smile on her face as she flittered over to Peter.

 _*Guess what, Peter, Toony didn't catch me before the time was up! *_ Tinkerbell told him excitedly _*Oh she came very close, but she still didn't catch me, we won the bet! *_

But even at the announcement of their victory, Peter and the lost boys where hesitant to celebrate as they looked at the young woman, her brown ears dropping low against her red hair and an absolute crestfallen expression upon her freckled face.

"H..hold on, I want another chance!" Toony said, her voice shaking. "Give me one more chance to win the game!"

 _*But you're all out of pixie dust, that means we won and you lost *_ Tinkerbell said in a firm tone. _*you'll just have to try again when your year as our mother is over.*_

"I can't stay here for a year!" Toony told her, almost frantically. "If I had arrived under any other circumstances, I would accept this as a fair loss, but I just can't this time! I have to have pixie dust so we can go on our way!"

 _*I told you before, Toony, I can't just bring clumsies to Pixie Hallow all willy-nilly,*_ Tinkerbell told her. _* That's against the rules! *_

"Oh _rules?!_ Since when have rules ever stopped _any_ of you from doing whatever?!" Toony asked angrily, earning soft, surprised gasps from her fluffballs at her outburst before she made herself close her eyes and take in a couple of deep breaths. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that, I'm sorry..."

After a few seconds of silence, Toony opened her eyes back up and looked up at the little golden pixie with an imploring gaze.

"...Tinkerbell, we both know I used up the last of my pixie dust saving you from that hawk, and I _need_ to see your queen and ask her for pixie dust, not only because we need it for our boat, but to complete this journey so I can go back _home._ " The young woman pleaded, trying hard to keep her urgency and frustration in check. "I have family and friends, and I have someone _important_ to me who could be worrying himself sick wondering where I am!"

"Please, I really, _really_ need your help to get back to him!"

Tinkerbell watched as Toony let out hitching sigh before she just sat on her knees and closed her eyes, turning her face towards the ground like she was doing her best to keep from crying; Cheo and Hiromi held her hands as best as they could to give her some comfort while Tinkerbell shared looks with Peter, Slightly, Nibs, Cubby and the Twins, all of them frowning slightly and unsure of what to do or say since Toony seemed so sad.

But after a few moments, the little fairy fluttered over and tugged slightly on her red bangs to get the young woman to look at her.

Toony almost had to cross her eyes at how close Tinkerbell was to her face, but after what seemed like hours of the glowing pixie seemingly studying her, Tinkerbell finally straightened out and put her tiny hands on hips.

 _*This 'him'...is he awfully special to you?*_ Tinkerbell asked softly.

"Yes, very much." Toony answered with a nod, rubbing her wedding band with her thumb.

Tinkerbell cocked her head to the side, thinking hard about something for a short while before she finally out a sigh and ran her thin little fingers through her blonde bangs. _*I'm gonna get in so much trouble...but okay. *_

At that, Toony looked up at her, her back straightening in surprise as a hopeful smile appeared on her face. "R- _really?_ "

 _*Sure, after all, you technically would have caught me, but you saved me instead.*_ Tinkerbell said, offering her a large, grateful grin. _*I'll take you to Pixie Hollow, so don't worry about the bet.*_

And to further show that she meant what she said, Tinkerbell flew around her, sprinkling Toony with a fresh dash of Pixie Dust that made her float into the air from the sheer gratefulness and joy that the little fairy gave her.

"We'll stay here and wait up for you." Peter said, giving her a thumbs up as the lost boys gave their statements of agreement before he handed her the large sack that Marie had left behind. "Have fun in Pixie Hallow."

Toony gave a nod and after sharing happy smiles with her fluffballs, she turned back to Tinkerbell with a determined and excited expression. "Ready when you are, Tink."

 _*Just try to keep up! *_ Tinkerbell said with a wink as zoomed away with Toony right behind her as she lead the woman on the way to the very heart of the island where the truly most enchanted and magical place of Neverland resided.

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 **This one was a bit short, so I think I'll go ahead and try to get the next chapter touched up and posted before bed. X3**


	9. Pixie Hollow

**Alrighty, one more chapter up for tonight :D:D:D You guys enjoy!**

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 _Chapter 9: Pixie Hollow_

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It was taking a little longer to get to Pixie Hallow than Toony expected, partly because Tinkerbell was very hesitant to fly above the trees again after the scare with hawk, so they were left to go zigzagging through the trees; Which Toony didn't mind, it was pretty fun playing 'follow the leader' with her like this now that she didn't have a year of her life on the line anymore.

But after a while, Toony started to wonder if they were still going in the right direction. Sure, Tinkerbell lived in Neverland, but maybe it was turning out to be a little challenging for her to navigate through all the thrush so close like this; Though before she could try and ask Tinkerbell whether or not they were lost, the little fairy suddenly darted ahead through the trees with a burst of speed that slightly took Toony by surprise as she and her fluffballs tried to catch up.

"Hey Tink, don't go so fast!"Toony called to her as she barley managed to keep her sight on Tinkerbells glow. "We'll end up loosing you if you just take off like that without warning us!"

 _* Oh, I'm sorry Toony,*_ Tinkerbell called back with a teasing giggle. _*I can slow down if this is too much for an old grown up like you.*_

Toony let out snort, sending looks to Cheo and Hiromi before she smirked and went faster to catch up to the little pixie. And when Tinkerbell then led them over a tall, steep slope before they finally broke through the treetops; And once again Toony had to close her eyes at first because it was still very bright out, but once her eyes adjusted, both the young woman and her fluffballs couldn't stop their jaws from dropping at the sight before them...

The magical glory of Pixie Hollow.

 _*Here we are!*_ Tinkerbell announced. _* what'cha think you guys?*_

Toony just hovered there, taking it all in as her eyes roamed over the bright, vibrant orange and red leaves of the Autumn Forest, to the beautiful Spring Valley with it's trees filled with delicate pink blossoms.

Then she shifted her gaze over to the lush green grasses of the Summer Glade and then forward to Winter Woods which was forever covered in a blanket of the pristine white snow that sparkled in the sunlight.

And finally, at the center of it all, was the one and only Pixie Dust Tree. Standing tall and strong with the barest hint of that very familiar golden glow shining through its leaves.

"Oh Tink, it's absolutely beautiful..." Toony said in a breathless voice.

 _*Yeah, it's a wonderful place to call home.*_ Tinkerbell said, smiling proudly. _*Well, we should probably get going; Just follow me and go slow so we don't alarm everybody, 'kay? *_

"No problem." Toony promised as she, Cheo and Hiromi followed after her at an easy pace towards the Pixie Dust Tree. And it didn't take very long before they suddenly began to attract attention and draw a crowd.

At first there were a couple new glows from others fairies that had come to get a closer look at the large arrival. But it seemed like Toony only blinked once and saw that she was suddenly surrounded by water fairies, garden fairies, and older curious fairies and sparrowmen of every type and talent

 _*It's a clumsy! I saw her fly in with Tinkerbell, *_ She heard a garden fairy whisper to what looked like a water-talent sparrowman.

 _* What's she doing here? *_ A light fairy asked.

 _* Look at those ears, and are those some kind of furry fairies with her? *_ An animal fairy inquired as she looked at Cheo and Hiromi with interest.

 ** _*Tinkerbell!*_** Multiple voices suddenly rang out before Toony saw the familiar forms or Rosetta, Silvermist, Terrence, Vidia, Fawn and Iridessa flitter up from the crowd and, besides the dust keeping sparrowman and the fast flying fairy of their group, tackled their tinker fairy friend in a tight group hug; Squeezing her for several seconds before they finally let go and gave her room to breath again.

 _* Oh Tinkerbell, it's been so long since your last visit, we missed you so much! *_ Silvermist said happily.

 _*That's too right! I'm sure it must be a hoot runnin' around with Peter and the lost boys, but we really need to set you up some sort of schedule, sugar plum!*_ Rosetta chided before she just smiled and gave Tinkerbell another hug.

Toony, who had been watching silently with an excited smile filled with wonder to be surrounded by so many curious pixies, suddenly gave a sharp gasp and jumped in surprise when she felt something land on her head and crawl through her hair before she realized that it was Fawn, who had taken to inspecting her large fox ears.

 _*Who's this, Tink? *_ Fawn asked as Toony felt her little hands run over her left ear in fascination.

 _*Picked up from another one of Tinkerbells' crazy excursions, no doubt.*_ Vidia sighed as her arms crossed over her chest.

 _*Guys, I'd like you all to meet my new friend, Toony.*_ Tinkerbell said. _* And those two with her are Cheo and Hiromi, they've come to ask queen Clarion for permission to take a supply of pixie dust from the Pixie Dust Tree. *_

A wave of surprised, murmuring voices then filled the air as the fairies and sparrowmen whispered amongst each other over the news, but Tinkerbell didn't pay much attention to it as she turned back to Toony, Cheo and Hiromi with a grin that told them not to worry about a thing.

 _*Now, I want you all to wait right here while I go see the queen. *_ Tinkerbell instructed. _* My friends will keep you company until I get back, right guys? *_

 _*Sure thing, Tink, you can count on us *_ Silvermist promised as Rosetta, Fawn and Iridessa nodded in agreement as they fluttered closer to their large new friend and her furry companions.

 _*It's not like we have anything better to do anyway. *_ Vidia commented with a roll of her eyes.

 _*We'll all be right here after you're done talking to the queen.*_ Terrance assured.

 _*Thanks so much guys! *_ Tinkerbell said gratefully as she hurried off. _* I'll be back soon!*_

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"Fawn, _really_ , I'm just a regular person." Toony said for what felt like the hundredth time, giggling as the little animal fairy tickled her ears from running her hands ran over them again while her friends and many other fairies and sparrowmen sat close around the large mortal woman. "The only reason I have these is because of magic."

 _* Magic? Oh no! What happened?! *_ Iridessa asked in alarm. _*Were you punished for something? Did a nasty witch place a curse on you? Oh! It's too terrible to even think about!*_

Toony let out a laugh when Iridessa worked herself up almost into a faint with so many negative thoughts and steadied the light fairy with her hand until she managed to calm herself down.

"Well, I'm actually not supposed to talk about it..." Toony began, but after hearing a few disappointed whines and looking at the curious faces around her, she gave a relenting sigh. " _Buuut_ I guess I can tell you a little bit, just a _little_ though, okay?"

And with that, all of the little pixies around her fell quiet, giving her their undivided attention as they seemed to be pretty eager to hear the story she had to tell, even if it was just a little bit of it.

"I'm from a land very far away from here..." The young woman began before she was quickly interrupted.

 _*You mean the Mainland?*_ Terrance asked with interest.

"Even further than that!" Cheo told them as Hiromi nodded enthusiastically beside him.

 _*Wow, there's a land beyond the Mainland?! *_ Silvermist looking as though her mind had been blown as her pixie companions murmured amongst themselves at the intriguing news.

Toony only gave a smile as she continued on with her story. "The last thing I can remember is falling asleep at home, and when I woke up, I found myself summoned to this world to go on this quest."

 _*What kind of quest are we talking about?*_ Vidia piped up from her seat on Toonys' left shoulder, asking her first question since they all had sat down. _* What're you supposed to even do?*_

"Well that's just it, I'm not exactly sure." Toony answered. " I was told that I needed to find that out for myself. But _whatever_ the reason is, I'm sure glad it happened regardless."

Though even as she said that, the pixies suddenly noticed her frown, and watched as she gazed up at the pixie dust tree before she look away with a rather down cast expression on her face.

 _*Why, what's the matter, buttercup? *_ Rosetta asked. _* You look more wilted than a daisy that hasn't had a drop of sun in days. *_

"Nothing, it's silly..." Toony said, waving it off.

 _*Come on, you can tell us. *_ Terence coaxed gently. _* We're all friends here, right? *_

Toony blinked, a bit surprised to hear that they considered her to a friend after just meeting, but it soon brought a smile to her face and nodded before she took in a deep breath.

"It's just...it's still so hard to believe I'm really _here._ " She told them. "I keep expecting it to all be such a good dream I'll wake up from soon, but I don't, I'm still hear in Neverland, in Pixie Hollow with all of you."

She slowly placed her hand on the trunk of the tree, taking in the real and rough texture of the bark under her touch. "I'm _literally_ living out one of my biggest dreams since I was a little girl, and I feel so happy because of it, but...I only wish Marie could be here to share this experience with me..."

*Who's Marie?* Vidia asked.

 _*She's a completely rude old Clumsy that came to Neverland with her. *_ Came Tinkerbells voice, making them look up as the little tinker fairy finally came fluttering back from her meeting with the fairy queen and sat upon Toonys right shoulder.

 _* The Queen will be here before too long, we'll just need to wait a minuet.*_ Tinkerbell said before she looked back around at her friends. _*But back to what I was saying before, you guys should consider yourselves lucky you don't have to meet that stinkbug! *_

"Now Tink, that's not very nice." Toony told her. " I bet you could learn to like her if you just had the chance to get to each other better...it's just been hard to do since we all seem to butt heads."

 _* Well...I don't think so, she isn't very nice at all! *_ Tinkerbell said in disbelief as she stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest. _* If she wants people to get along with her, she shouldn't be so mean! You're not like that at all, she should learn to be more like you.*_

"Oh I wouldn't say _that_ , you weren't there when Marie and I got into it...I wasn't exactly as civil as I could have been either." Toony admitted with a sigh. "I let my mouth run when I get angry, and I ended up saying some pretty bad things."

"I feel bad that I didn't try to patch things up with her before you brought us here..."

Tinkerbell slowly lost her sour expression when Toony slightly slumped over herself, the young woman really did seem upset that her other companion wasn't with her...maybe she _had_ been a little too quick to judge; But before she could try and talk to her new friend a little more, a light talent sparrowmon suddenly stood to his feet and pointed up in the air.

 _*Look, queen Clarion has arrived!*_ he announced.

At that, the Fairies and Toony all stood at attention as a glittering ball of light began to descend from out of nowhere as all eyes were watching. And in a bright flash of light, there she was, Queen Clarion in all her regal splendor; Her back strait and shoulders posed, her blonde hair pulled back into a perfect bun as her beautiful crown sat upon her head, and her large, shimmering golden wings fluttering ever so slightly as she effortlessly glided down until she was right before her new guest.

 _*So this is the young lady I've heard so much about...*_ queen Clarion mused in that soft, silky voice as her crystal blue eyes regarded her in a kindly light. _*You've come quite a long way from home, my dear.*_

"Yeah, you have _no_ idea.." Toony said under her breath before cleared her throat and bowed before her. "But that's way I'm here your majesty, to ask you if my friends and I can have some pixie dust so that I can continue on my journey home."

"I'm willing to earn it, of course, in what ever way I can." the young woman added quickly before the queen could respond. "Just name what you want me to do and I'll-"

But she stopped when Queen Clarion let out an airy laugh.

 _*Oh, there isn't any need for all that.*_ The beautiful fairy Queen said. _*Tinkerbell here has informed me of your selfless act in saving her from danger, and for rescuing one of my fairies, you have already earned a share of pixie dust for your travels.*_

The fox eared woman looked from her fluffballs to her new fairy friends in surprise, almost as though she could hardly believe that she would be allowed to take some dust so easily, earning another soft chuckle from queen Clarion.

 _*Go ahead, dear, there's plenty to spare.*_ she assured.

Returning her her smile with a grateful grin of her own, Toony took hold of the large sack she had brought with her then leaned over until she was eye level with her favorite Dust Keeper as he hovered close by to Tinkerbell.

"Hey Terence, I think I'm too big to get in and reach the stream..." She began. " Think you and the other dust keepers can help me out?"

 _* No problem Toony!*_ the little sparrowman said with a thumbs up. _*Just leave it to us.*_

 _*We'll help too! *_ Tinkerbell said while Rosetta, Fawn, Vidia, Silvermist, Iridessa and herself joined in as well; all six of took the rim of Toonys' bag and lifted it up to the branches while the dust keepers collected some larger leaves and formed a line that lead from tree down to the opening of the sack. And after a few seconds, the sight of that golden, sparkling dust came trickling down in a steady stream.

Toony watched in awe as the fairies graciously continued to give her a share of their precious source of magic, unable to resist reaching out and letting the tiny grains run over her finger before she let it be. And after a few moments, the bag was finally filled nearly to the top.

 _*Is that enough, Toony?*_ Tinkerbell asked.

"Wow, There's so much!" Cheo stated in amazement as he and Hiromi looked at the contents of the bag.

"It's perfect, Tink!" Toony told Tinkerbell happily as she tied the drawstrings tightly so not to lose a drop of pixie dust. "This should be more than enough for us!"

 _*Then I send you off with all my best wishes.*_ Queen Clarion told her. _*May you be ever safe and well on your journey home.*_

"Thank you your majesty." Toony said with a respectful bow to which queen Clarion returned with a nod of her head before the young woman looked all around to each of her fairy friends with a grateful smile "Thank you all so much!"

 _* Well, I'll admit, it was kinda nice meeting you Toony. *_ Vidia said with a wink of an eye.

 _* Don't you be forgettin' us now, sweet pea.*_ Rosetta said.

 _* We sure won't forget you. *_ Silvermist

"And I'll keep you all in my thoughts forever, thank you all for being such good friends to me." Toony told them in a soft, thankful voice. "I'll always remember your kindness and generosity."

Some of the fairies got bashful expressions while others gave a soft chorus of 'you're welcome's before Tinkerbell came into her vision.

 _*Are you ready to head back now, Toony?*_ Tinkerbell asked, flying around Toony before flitting up towards the way they came.

" I think I am." the young woman started, making sure to have a good grip before she was up in the air once again thanks to Tinkerbells' sprinkle of pixie dust. "Cheo, Romi, you ready to go?"

"We're coming!" Her fluffballs chimed together from the spot close to Fawn as she was petting their soft fur, and gave the sweet animal fairy affectionate nuzzles before they flapped their little white wings and joined them in the air. But before they headed out, Tinkerbell was suddenly tackled by her all friends in a big, tight hug once again.

 _* Don't be a stranger this time, okay? *_ Terence told her, being the first to part from the group hug.

 _*I won't, I'll try and visit you all again soon, okay? *_ Tinkerbell promised as she slowly pulled away from her friends and waved goodbye to them before she lead Toony and her fluffballs back towards the entrance of Pixie Hollow.

 _*Bye Tink, bye Toony, all of you be safe! *_ Iridessa called after them as she and the other fairies waved their friends farewell.

Toony waved goodbye to them as well, and afterwards, she flew closer beside Tinkerbell and gave her a soft smile. "Tink, thank you again." she told her.

 _* What for? *_ the little golden fairy asked.

"For doing this." Toony answered. "Taking me here when you could've gotten in trouble for it, just...thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much."

 _*Nah, it was only the right thing to do, after all.*_ Tinkerbell with a bashful grin as she waved it off. _*But you're very welcome all the same. *_

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When Toony and her friends were out of Pixie Hollow, she could barley contain how pleased and proud she felt; She was so excited to see Marie again and show her that she had the pixie dust here in her hands she flew on faster straight on towards the beach where they had left their vessel.

"Hey, you got it!" a voice said, making Toony look over to see that Peter and the lost boys were following close behind her.

"I sure did!" Toony told him, clutching the sack of pixie dust even tighter in her hands to be double sure she didn't lose it. "I can't wait to show Marie!"

"Yeah, where is she anyways? She kind of left in the middle of the game before." Slightly pointed out.

"She has to be at our boat, that's the only place she would have gone!" Toony answered excitedly. "It's over this way, follow me!"

With a dash towards the right, Toony lead them all to the beach, and her smile grew even bigger when the white and silver boat with pearly sails came into view before she flew even faster to it.

"Marie! I've got it! I got the pixie dust!" Toony called out excitedly as she landed on the deck, but as she looked around, her guide wasn't anywhere in sight. "...Marie?"

Then, figuring that she must be inside, she placed the pixie dust on the floor and opened the while Peter and the lost boys watched as she then ran into the cabin, and after a while, she came back out with a rather concerned expression on her face. "Marie, where are you?"

That was when she saw it...dents and scuffs along the door and the frame, like someone had tried to force their way inside but wasn't able too.

"She isn't here, Toony?" Hiromi asked worriedly as she watched her creator run her fingers along the strange marks on the cabin.

"No...she isn't." Toony answered. As she went over to the to the side of the boat and looked at the sand around it. From the air, she hadn't noticed, but now that she was really looking, She got a bad feeling when she saw that there were tons of footprints everywhere around their vessel, way more then what would have belonged to one woman.

And a lot _bigger_ too.

 _*What's going on, Toony?*_ Tinkerbell asked.

"I, I'm not sure, your guess is as good as...hey, what's that?" Toony questioned as she pointed out towards the trees as something small, black and furry darted out onto the beach and ran towards them; And as it got closer, her light eyes widened in recognition.

" _Tootles!_ " she exclaimed as jumped over the side of the boat and onto the sand before she raced over to the youngest lost boy with Peter and the others close behind her; And Tootles never slowed down for an instant until he practically barreled into her middle, clutching tightly at her sweater as he looked up at her with a terrifyingly urgent expression.

"Tootles? What's the matter?" she asked, feeling concerned as she looked him over and noticed that he a bit dirtier and scruffier than when she last saw him, he even had scratches on his cheeks; almost like he had been in a scuffle and got roughed up. "What happened to you? Do you know where Marie is?"

She knew that Tootles never talked, so instead of answering her with a voice, Tootles just held up a folded piece of parchment paper and urgently put it in Toony's hands. Making that bad feeling in the pit of her stomach growing even worse before she slowly opened it up and began to read the beautiful cursive handwriting what was written within it.

And with every word her eyes went over, the more grim her expression became...

"What's wrong Toony?" Peter asked, sensing that something was up as the red headed woman set the paper down before she slowly stood up to her feet and looked out towards the sea...

"Hooks' got Maire."

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 **Aaaaaand, done. I hope you guys like this chapter, I'll have the last chapter I have done touched up and posted either tomorrow night, or at the very latest Monday night.**

 **Nighty-night! you all have an awesome weekend!**


	10. The Rescue

**And this is that last full chapter I have written out for this story, I'll get right to work on the other though, and I'll try my hardest not to take so terribly long. But I can't make any definite promises.**

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 _Chapter 10: The Rescue_

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" _...And if you want your lovely friend to be returned to you, then you will surrender your vessel and everything of value to me at these coordinates before sundown._ " Peter Pan read aloud after taking the letter Toony had gotten from Tootles while the young woman paced back and forth; her ears laid flat against her head and her tail thrashing back and forth in agitation. " _If you refuse to meet these conditions, or fail to appear before the appointed time, then your companion will partake in dinner with the Sharks where she will be the main course!_"

" _Yours truly, Captain James Hook._ " He then crumpled up the letter in a ball with a distasteful frown on his face. " That old cod fish...we're supposed to meet near Skull Rock."

"Ha, and after the _last_ time we fought there, he must be a sucker for punishment!"

But Toony wasn't able to share his humor, even as she remembered what happened to Hook when Peter and Wendy rescued princess Tiger Lily from drowning after he kidnapped her for information about where he could find the boys secret hideout; All she could think about was Marie and wondering whether or not she was alright.

"This is all my fault...I _shouldn't_ have let her go off by herself!" Toony said angrily, mostly to herself.

"That's not true, Toony." Hiromi insisted. " We didn't see pirates anywhere when we got here."

"That doesn't matter! Marie said that it was dangerous and I let my excitement get the better of me when I should've been more careful! I should've thought to ask if Hook and his crew were still in Neverland rather than just assume we were okay!" Toony stated as she plopped down on a large rock and held her head in her hands. "Who _knows_ what those pirates are doing to her because of my selfishness!"

"Hey, come on Toony, it's no use beatin' yourself up over things you can't take back." Peter said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

 _*Peter's right, what's important is what you do_ _now_ _to help Marie! *_ Tinkerbell told her, as she determinedly smacked a little fist upon her palm.

The young woman looked up into Peters brown eyes, holding his gaze for a moment before she took in a deep breath to calm herself down.

"You're right, what we need to do is figure out how rescue her..." She told him as she stood back up to her feet and tried to come up with a game plan; And after a few moments of contemplating, she finally turned to the Peter and the others as they waited for instructions. "Boys, if you need to pick up anything, ammo or weapons or whatever, bring as much as you can carry. We're gonna go in hard and fast and we'll show no mercy to any pirate we face!"

Peter gave a loud crow while the lost boys all gave a battle ready yell and went off to find weapons suitable for fighting pirates, with the exception of little Tootles who stayed put. Looking so utterly down heartened that Toony just couldn't leave him alone like that.

"Tootles?" Toony asked as she knelt down to his level. "What's wrong?"

He only looked up at her with sad, somber eyes before he slowly lifted up his hand, showing her a single daisy that was bent at the stem and missing several of it's petals. Toony didn't really understand the significance of the little flower, but she she did have a thought that if Tootles was the one Hook sent to deliver the ransom note, that had to mean that he was with her when Hook and his crew captured her.

Could it be that he felt terrible because he couldn't do anything to help her?

"Hey, it'll be okay, sweetheart..." Toony assured as she picked him up and held him close, which he welcomed without any complaint. "We'll get Marie out of this, but we have to put on our game faces and get ready first, alright? Think you can do that for her?"

Tootles still looked a little upset, but he eagerly nodded in affirmation to Toony's question which made her smile at him before she looked back out at sea, watching the descending sun.

"Don't worry, Marie, help is on the way!"

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 _On the Jolly Roger..._

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"You have exactly five seconds to get your filthy hands off me before I slap you all cockeyed!"

A loud smack followed by a thud from a pirate falling to the wood floor of the deck in a stunned daze after getting socked in the jaw by a very less than scared Marie

Ever since they ambushed her and Tootles in the forest, they had made it very clear that they would hurt the little boy if she didn't keep still. But after they released him in order to bring a note back to Toony and the others, she didn't feel so inclined to be passive anymore; She fought against the band of pirates as hard as she could though she knew deep down that this would be a fruitless struggle, but even if she didn't succeed in getting away from them, she would at the very least make sure that she would leave them worse for wear before she gave up the fight!

"Tie her up!" Captain James Bartholomew Hook ordered impatiently before he had to side step as one of his crew almost hit him from being knocked away from his mates as they continued to struggled to subdue their captive. "Can't you bilge rats handle _one_ simple _woman?_ "

He was already in a bad mood due to not being able to raid the womens vessel, even though he doubted there would be much to plunder since it was so small. But no matter how hard his men tried, they just couldn't get in.

And all that the wench would tell him was that it was warded by strange forces that only allowed her charge and herself passage inside. And at first, he threatened the little lost boy they had captured to force her to get them inside, but she insisted that even if she did walk in there, they wouldn't have been allowed in either way; Apparently, only those whom she, or that fox tailed woman considered to be friends would have been granted access inside their cabin. A bit too much precaution for such a little little ship, but it just made him think that whatever was inside was indeed of the most valuable nature

This unruly woman had better _hope_ that her companion had enough sense to follow his ransom thoroughly if she wanted to see another day; Though once he released the scurvy, lost boy brat with his letter, she wasn't doing much to ensure her own well being...

"Oh just try ta be patient, Cap'm." Mr. Smee said as they both ducked when a stray bucket suddenly went sailing over their heads. "Hehe, she's a right feisty one, she is."

Not a moment after those words left his mouth, Marie managed to get her right arm free again and punch one pirate square in the nose when she felt his grubby hand lay too high on her left thigh, but her small victory was short lived when his crew mates managed to hold her down long enough to _finally_ tie her wrists tightly behind her back; And once the pirates stood her back up, her struggling had lessened since she no longer had use of her hands.

But that didn't stop her from glaring daggers at the Captain of the ship as he slowly walked towards her.

"Aye, be that as it may..." Captain Hook began, suddenly grabbing Marie by the jaw to make her look at him. "It would be better for this 'feisty' shrew ta smartly settle herself before she finds that Captain Hook shows no quarter to _anyone!_ "

But, instead of his threat making her submit with fear like he expected, she jerked her head up until it was high enough for her to deliver a vicious chomp into the soft, fleshy area if his hand.

" _YEOWCH!_ " Captain Hook hollered, yanking his hand away and shaking the pain, and only once the pain finally became a dull ache did he send Marie a murderous glare.

"N-now, now, be calm Cap'm, be calm, you said we needed her alive to bait Peter Pa-" But before poor Mr. Smee could finish his sentence, he let out a startled yelp as a hook went through the front of his white and blue striped shirt and yanked him close to the enraged face of his Captain.

"BELAY THAT!" Hook roared, making his first mate let out a squeak as he hide his eyes under his hat before Hook promptly threw him to the wooden floor. " I promised in my letter that she would be returned, but I _never_ promised I would return her alive!"

He squeezed the fingers of his hand and looked at the damage. The marks were deep with a bit of blood oozing from some of the indentations that came from her canines; and to his shock, there was a purple bruise already starting to form in the tender flesh. Had she bitten any harder, she would have very well taken a good chunk out out it.

"And if the wench is so eager fer a piece of Captain Hook, well I'm _happy_ to oblige!" He stated as he reached around and pulled his pistol from his belt before he leveled the barrel between Maries' eyes. "Let see how Pan and your fox eared friend will take seein' a hole in that pretty little head of yers!"

But if Marie was scared, she did an excellent job in hiding it behind that stone cold expression that was set upon her face as her hazel eyes seemed to burn right through him. Hook was a little annoyed that he didn't get the reaction he wanted from her, but all he did was sneer and cocked it; Though before he could pull the trigger, he let out cry of pain when something hard suddenly struck him in the wrist, causing him drop the pistol to the deck.

"Bulls eye! Nice shot Slightly." an all too familiar voice stated that made Hook whip his head over to see none other than that flying devil, Peter Pan, hovering over his ship along with his annoying pixie friend and his band lost boys. And with one more added member of that redheaded woman with the fox ears and tail, no less.

"Why Captain, I'm surprised," Peter started with a disapproving shake of his head. "It's not very proper to treat a girl so rough!"

"He's right you know," Toony said with a smirk. "You could learn a thing or two from Peter about being a gentleman, Hook!"

"Ha! A 'gentleman' ya say, lass?" Hook demanded, his left eye twitching just a bit. "Why don't ya come down and let me show ya how _gentlemanly_ I can be!"

" And where is yer vessel? I like ta think I made me instructions perfectly clear least ya _wanted_ your friend to join old Davy Jones!"

"Where I'm floating, it looked like you were already planning set up that little date, so I think some _serious_ re-negotiations are in order!" Toony said before she and Tinkerbell turned to face Peter with a smile. "Well Peter, shall Tink and I pester the 'dear' old Captain a bit while you and the boys gallantly rescue my guide?"

"Ladies first." Peter said as he and the lost boys all gave sweeping bows while Toony and Tinkerbell curtsied in return.

" _Chaaaarge!_ " Toony yelled, zooming off towards the ship with the whooping lost boys close behind as they descended on the Jolly Roger.

Marie watched as the lost boys and the pirates began to brawl, Hooks buccaneers were large and fierce men that wielded swords and pistols, but the boys, surprisingly enough for her, were able to give them a run for their money with their more childish weapons of wood and stone; And pulling at her bonds, she wished that she could help them.

"Marie..." Came a whisper from her right shoulder, making her look over to see Hiromi grinning up at her.

"Romi?" she asked in surprise.

"Toony told us to help untie you when they were talking to the pirates!" the little fluffball told her as Marie felt a bit of movement at her wrists and looking further over her shoulder, there was little Cheo tugging and biting at the ropes with all he had.

"Romi, these are hard to get off..." He told his female counterpart, panting slightly with exhaustion.

" Hold on, I'll help!" she assured before she fluttered down to join him.

"Hurry you two," Marie urged them as she turned back to the fight before them to make sure no one saw what they were doing.

"Get them! Get them yeh yella swabs!" Hook barked as his crew looked to be having a bit of a tough time in the tussle with the flying children who had proved to be the bane of their existence time and time again; But his orders were cut short when his hat was suddenly plucked right off his head and looking up at the two annoyances he was dealing with.

"What d'ya think, Tink?" the redhead asked with his hat on her head and posing with it a little. "Does it look good on me?"

 _* Haha! It suits you great, Toony!*_ Tinkerbell told her with a thumbs up.

"Give that back! Blast you!" Hook demanded, shaking his fist at them. "That is _my_ captains hat!"

"Aww, but I like big hats!" Toony told him with a pout as she patted the huge, soft feather with her hand. "Mmmmm...nah, I want it, it's mine now."

Hook growled in irritation as he squeezed the handle of his rapier, pretending it was the neck of this infuriating woman while the fight between his crew and the lost boys rage on behind him.

Across the deck, Cheo and Hiromi had just managed to finally get the biggest knot loose on Maries bonds when a skinny, scruffy pirate with a black eye came to stand in front of Marie. And she recognized it as one of the few men that she had managed to land a hit on when they first brought her on bored the Jolly Roger.

"Yer friend didn't keep to the Cap'ms agreement, no boat, no treasure, so no sense in keepin' ye alive, anymore!" He stated with a cruel smirk as he held his sword up and ready to run her clean through.

All Marie could do was glare up at him as she felt the two fluffballs frantically doubled their efforts to get the rest of the knots undone. But to Maries' surprise, the pirate suddenly let out a howl of pain, and following his gaze as he looked down, there was Tootles at his left leg with his little teeth clamped down tightly on the pirates ankle.

"Ey! Git off me!" the buccaneer yelled as he jiggled his leg to get Tootles off of him before he gabbed him by the fluffy black and white tail of his outfit and began to pull while the youngest lost boy held on with all he had.

It was at that moment that Marie finally felt the ropes slacken around her wrists when the pirate had managed to yank Tootles off him and throw him to the deck.

"Think I'll let ye git away with that?!" the pirate started, looming over the lost boy as he held his sword high over his head. "I'll teach ye ta bite me, ye lily livered little-"

But before he finished his sentence, he felt something tap on his shoulder, making him turn around to see Marie standing there behind him.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she asked before she swung around a a bucket she picked up and hit him so hard in the head, It made him see stars dancing in his vision before fell heavily to the floor with a loud _'thud!'_.

"Woo! Way to go Marie!" Slightly hollered as the other lost boys whooped in glee.

"That was awesome for an old lady!" Cubby commented, making Marie look up at him with a glare. But before she could say anything, she let out a gasp when something small suddenly leaped into her arms, and she looked down just in time to see Tootles wrap his little arms around her neck in a tight hug while he planted a grateful kiss on her cheek.

"Alright, alright, you can get off now," the dark haired woman began uneasily, just standing there awkwardly; But after a moment, she just accepted it and hugged him back. "Oh...you're welcome Tootles."

"HOLD STILL YOU BLOODY LOUSE!" Captain Hook howled as he frantically swung his sword around trying to land a hit on the fox tailed female that tormented him. But she would just zoom out of the way with every thrust; teasing him, mocking him, and in his anger, she very nearly would have led him right off the plank if he hadn't noticed where he was going in time.

Letting out a laugh at him almost taking a dip in the water, she did a big loop in the air and glided close along the oceans surface. But it wasn't long before the relatively calm waters were suddenly disturbed by something bursting out from under it in front of her; nearly resulting in her flying right into the huge toothy jaws of a great white shark.

" _AAAAH!_ " she screamed slowing down and just barley veering to the right while loosing Hooks hat in it's opened maw before it chomped down. But she wasn't out of the woods yet when _another_ shark jumped from the water, making Toony cry out again and grab her tail out of the way before she found herself with out it as she hurried back up the the ship.

She sat down heavily on the deck and looked over her tail to verify that she still every hair before she stood up and peered down into the water where the two sharks were.

The one that almost ate her whole was a male shark with a missing eye, rough, dark teal skin and a scar over his snout while the one that very nearly took her tail was a female shark that had two large hooks in her dorsal fin that was lighter in color and had the faintest hit of strips along her back; And they both leered up at her with disappointment at the loss of their snack, but Toony was all too happy in _not_ letting them have what they wanted.

"Holy muffins..." Toony murmured, still holding her tail close to her chest. "Hook wasn't kidding around when he said he had sharks!"

"I _never_ kid, my dear." A voice said behind her, making her whirl around to see Hook directly behind her with an almost crazed smile on his face. "Do you like them? I've taken to calling them Titus and Calypso; For months I've been baiting them into following me ship for just such an occasion as this."

"But now, I'll bet me last hand that my beasts are hungry for something _other_ than chum!"

Toony gasped when he suddenly swung his rapier with lightning fast speed, just barely managing to fly out of the way before he left a long, deep gash along side the wood where she once stood; Hook growled with rage after his miss, and he glared up at her as she stared down at him, unnerved by the sheer amount of blood lust she could see in his eyes...

He was the first to break his gaze as he swung his sword down and sliced a rope in half before he then put his weapon in his teeth and quickly grabbed onto it; Rushing upwards and over her so fast, that it made her let out a short cry and lift her arms over her face as a strong gust of wind tussled her cloths and hair. She expected him to pounce on her right then and there after she had foolishly frozen up... but when nothing happened, she slowly lowered her arms and looked around.

The hairs on her tail bristled slightly as goosebumps speckled her skin when she found that she had lost sight of him, and knowing that he could very well pop out from anywhere, she tried to keep herself moving as swiftly as she could manage; Never staying in one place too long as she looked left and right, high and low, trying to find where he had gone since her ears could only pick up the shouts and yells of the lost boys and pirates below her.

But once she tried to fly past the sails, she yelp when she felt a hand tightly grabbed around her ankle and looked down to see that Hook finally had her in his clutches.

"Ha- _ha!_ Gotcha now, ye flea ridden wretch!" he cackled.

Tinkerbell gave a gasp, watching as Hook swung Toony down and slammed her against the post; and after she slumped over from the impact, the little pixie quickly flew down to the deck, looking around until she finally spotted Marie among the squabbling bodies; The dark haired woman had been holding her own along side the lost boys, and after she had successfully knocked out a pirate with a good, hard kick to his face, she suddenly heard the tinkling sound of tiny bells around her ear and she turned to see Tinkerbell trying to get her attention.

She couldn't understand what she was trying to say, but it sure looked important as she frantically began pointing upward to the sails, making her eyes widen in fear as the sight she saw.

"Toony!" she cried.

But before she could run towards the rope ladder to get up there, she had stepped back in surprise when Tinkerbell suddenly began zipping around her and started spitting when the pixie dust that showered down on her got in her mouth.

"What're you dong?!" Marie demanded, shooting the fairy an angry look at being held back from helping her charge.

But Tinkerbell pointed urgently up at the sails where her charge was and then flapped her thin arms, never once breaking her intense gaze from Maries as she tried to covey what she was trying to tell her. And thankfully, it didn't take long for Marie to figure it out as she moved her glace back up on Toony as she remembered what she had told her back in the jungle.

"Just think happy thoughts..."

Back up in the sails, Toony whimpered as her left side and back twinged painfully as she pushed herself up into a kneeling position as well as she could so she could catch her breath while Captain Hook loomed over her; And she winced when she suddenly felt the tip of cold, sharp steel under her jaw that coaxed her to lift her head until she met eyes with the pirate captain as he looked down at her with that smug expression.

"In all honesty, it would be bloomin' shame ta damage such a curious specimen as yerself." He commented as he peered curiously as her ears and tail now that he was close enough. " I'd wager I could fetch a pretty penny if I sold ye off...perhaps if ye beg for mercy, I might just consider letting ye live ta see another day!"

"Beg? For an old _cod fish?_ " Toony asked with a defiant smirk. " I'd sooner be shark food!"

"That can be arranged!" Hook yelled, utterly fed up with these women and their infuriatingly vexatious rebelliousness. "Lets see if they'll enjoy ye more after I slice ye into bite size pieces!"

"I think they'd enjoy _you_ better!" a voice yelled out, making the captain look to the left only to see a black boot appear in his vision before he was struck so hard it sent him spinning. His wits finally caught up with him just as he was falling off, and with a gasp, he whirled his arms round and round to try and regain his balance; All the while, Toony was looking up at her rescuer with an expression that was a mixture of surprise, amazement and undeniable joy.

"Marie, you're _flying!_ " the red head exclaimed.

"You were right, Toony." Marie told her as she grinned at Tinkerbell while the fairy gave a proud smile in return. "I _am_ enjoying this."

She then lent over and helped Toony to her feet before she took her knife from her belt and flung it upwards, cutting out a large square of the sail and motioned for her charge to come up and join her; And getting the idea, Toony smiled widely and flew up to take one end of the cut out while Marie took the other.

Once Hook had finally righted himself, he almost when cross eyed when his vision was suddenly filled with white and his feet were swept out from under him. And he realized that the women had trapped him inside a bag and was flying him up to lord knew how high.

"Let me out of here!" Hook bellowed as he struggled inside the sail. "Let me go!"

"You want us let you go?" Toony asked humorously.

"Yes! I- _No!_ " he suddenly cried when his poor choice of words ran through his mind. "Don't you dare!"

"I'm pretty sure he said to let him go." Marie stated with a smirk.

"Yeah, I heard that too." the fox tailed young woman said with a twitch of her ears as she was unable to hold back a giggle.

"No! _No!_ "

"Well, whatever the captain wants..." Toony stated as she and Marie promptly released their hold on the sail and let it drop.

Hook couldn't help but let out a strangled yelp as he finally burst from the sail, his eyes darting every which way to find something to grab on too. They hadn't lifted him very far from the mast of the sail, so he reached out and dug his hook into the end of it as he looked down and watched squeamishly as the two great whites took hold of the sail and effortlessly tore it shreds before they gazed back up to him and licked their chops as he dangled there above them.

No different from a delectable codfish on a hook.

"Please, have mercy!" Hook begged, rather shamelessly as the two woman landed back on the mast above him. "Ye wouldn't really do me in, not like _this!_ "

"...You're right, not when you don't at least have a sporting chance." Toony said before she took the end of a rope and dropped it down for Hook to grab in his right hand, much to his and Marie's surprise; but before he could even think to pull himself up, she suddenly lent down over him.

"I'd hold on tight if I were you." Toony whispered with an wicked grin, making the scrawny man gasp before she stood back up and lightly pushed his hook out of the wood with the toe of her boot.

Hooks scream was probably the loudest and the shrillest she had _ever_ heard a grown man let out as he held the rope in death grip, but to Toony's barest hint of concern, he still kept going down... _much_ further then she thought he would.

"Oh dear, looks like there was a bit too much slack on that..." Marie commented, though she wasn't nearly as concerned about it.

Calypso was the first to notice that he would be close soon and opened her jaws readily, but she missed when the rope finally napped tight and swung Hook up and out of her reach; The pirate captain let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived when he realized that he had absolutely nothing to grab onto as he began to swing back down to the water and its ravenous occupants.

" _SMEE!_ " He yelled out as he tried to ball himself up so they couldn't reach him but Titus clamped down on the long coat tails of his jacket and tried to pull him off. But Hook had a stubbornly iron-like grip on the rope.

"SMEE! HELP ME, SMEE!" Hook cried as he tried pushing on the sharks nose to free himself until he suddenly that noticed Calypso closing in on him, hungry intent in her eyes as he let out another frantic wail before he began kicking his captor on the snout.

It didn't really bother Titus as first, but as the captains kept kicking at a rapid pace, it began to greatly tickle his nose; So just as Calypso was about to take a bite, the bigger shark could no longer hold it in and let out a loud, powerful sneeze; Immediately releasing Hook in the process and accidentally resulting in the taut rope flinging him high over to the other side of the ship like a sling shot and into the water.

Calypso gave her hunting partner a glare at his sheepish expression from the loss of their snack, and promptly smacked him on the head with her tail fin before the two of them dived underwater in order to retrieve it; And by the time Hook popped back up to the surface, spitting and gasping for breath, the sight of two pointed dorsal fins swimming towards him instantaneously sent him scrambling in a whirlwind of limbs in the opposite direction.

" _ **SMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_ " came Hooks shrill scream as he practically ran on water with the sharks hot on his tail.

"Cap'm!" his first mate cried as Hook got further and further away from the Jolly Roger while he and a few ship mates that hadn't been knocked unconscious hustled to one of the row boats. "Hold on Cap'm!"

Once they splashed into water and began rowing after Hook into the horizon, that was when Toony, Marie, Tinkerbell and the boys decided to take their leave; And with the battle won and everyone accounted for, they celebrated their victory in the sky as they headed back towards their own vessel that waited for them at the crescent moon beach.

Cheering and patting each other on the back the whole way.

"Did'ja see us Toony?!" Slightly asked excitedly. " We really showed those lousy pirates!"

"You sure did! You were all very brave, I'm so proud of you!" Toony told them, playfully tussling Nibbs and Cubby's hair and giving the Twins high fives before she turned to her guide, who was holding Tootles in her arms, with a grin that was nearly ear to ear.

"And Marie, holy muffins, you were _amazing!_ " Toony stated. "I didn't know you could fight like that!"

"Me? What about you?!" Marie asked, looking just as delighted as everyone else. "The way you and Tinkerbell lead the charge, I can't believe you really came to my rescue...especially after how rotten I was to everyone at first."

'Well, you were in trouble, what _else_ was I supposed to do?" Toony asked.

"You could have just gotten out of here yourself, that would have been the _smarter_ thing to do." Marie stated.

"And leave you behind with smelly pirates while saving my own tail?" Toony laughed with a playful nudge against Marie's shoulder. " What kind of friend would I be then?"

Tootles then took that moment to leave Marie and join his friends as the guide stared at Toony after her nonchalant statement... _friend?_ After how badly she had treated her before? After all the snide and downright mean things she said to her because she let her frustration get the best of her...she still thought of her as a friend?

"...Lemon drops." she suddenly said, making Toony slow to a stop in mid air to give her a confused look while Peter and the others came to a halt as well, curious to see what was going on.

"Huh?" Toony asked.

"I like lemon drops." Marie repeated, a slight blush staining her olive cheeks. "Any hard candies really, but lemon drops are my favorite...I like that they're both sweet and sour."

"Wow, that's...surprisingly cute." the fox eared woman commented with a thoughtful flick of her tail. "I seriously didn't expect that from you."

Marie let out a short laugh at her comment, then she fell silent, thinking hard about something before she looked Toony squarely in the eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry for how I behaved before." The guide told her, looking a little ashamed. " I just wanted to get you through this as fast as possible so you can return home safely...but just because _I_ prefer things to go a certain way, it doesn't mean that's always what's best."

Toony felt a little stunned to hear her apology, even more since she had planned on apologizing to Marie first once they got back to the boat; but hey, doing this now and setting things right was good too.

"Well, you're not the _only_ one at fault, I got a little carried away myself." Toony said, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's just...this is the first time in a long while that I've felt so happy, but I tried to make it to last longer than I should've."

"Still, it was wrong of me to order you around and try to control how you chose to get what we needed." Marie insisted. "Because ultimately, this is _your_ journey, and you're the one who needs to figure out how to solve it...I'm really just here to take you to where you need to go."

"Maybe that's true, but I can loose track of what I need to get done very easily." Toony admitted sheepishly. "So I'll still need someone to snap me out of it if I get too distracted."

Marie nodded in understanding, glad that things were appearing to smooth out between them. "Can we start over then?"

She extended her arm and held out a hand to her charge, but Toony only looked at it for a second before she gave Marie a large smile, spreading her arms out wide and wrapped them around her surprised guide in a tight hug.

"Sure thing." she said.

Marie could only blink, not really sure what to do a first... but her hesitance didn't last long when a small, genuine smile of her own appears on her lips as she returned Toonys' embrace. Much to the delight of Cheo and Hiromi as they witnessed the two of them finally starting to become friends with each other; Even Peter, Tinkerbell and all the lost boys shared smiles with each other, looking pleased that the two of them were getting along.

All of a sudden, the moment was interrupted when a bright flash of violet light sparked between them, making them look down at Toony's bangle on her wrist. And to their surprise, the purple diamond was shimmering with a bright glow.

"Hey, it's lighting up!" Toony exclaimed. " What do we do now?"

"Now, we _really_ start the quest." Marie said with a grin as she took Toony's hand and began to pull her along. "Hurry, lets get back to the boat and I'll show you what to do!"

* * *

 _ **…**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

* * *

When they finally made it back to Marie and Toony's boat, the dark haired woman wasted no time leading Toony to the mast that stood in the middle of the boat and lifted up a latch that opened up a silver door to revel a small space that had a three pronged stand within it.

"Now, every time a diamond lights up, you need to come back to the boat and open this up..." Marie said as she held out her hand.

Taking the hint, Toony slipped the bangle off her wrist and placed it in her guides palm.

"You just put the bracelet here, and _always_ make sure that the diamond that's glowing is facing up." Marie continued before she placed the bangle on the stand inside, glowing stone facing up "Then the ship will absorb the magic in the diamond before a bright light of the same color will appear within the ties like so..."

Toony and the boys watched in awe as it seemed like an invisible force pulling the light within the diamond out and upwards until the white sails too on a slight, purple glow. And watching Marie point upwards, they turned their gaze to the sky just as a violet star flickered into being among the rest.

"Think of it as a sort of beacon." Marie stated, giving the bangle back to Toony. "The colored star is the world that we'll be going to next."

"Wow..." Toony said in amazement as she put her bracelet back on her wrist.

"Then...I guess it's time for you to go now, huh?" Peter asked softly, making the two of them turn around to face them.

"Yes, I really need to get back home." Toony said in a soft tone as the expressions of every lost boy fell. Even Peter seemed to be a bit disappointed that they had to go so soon.

"Goodbye boys, it was so wonderful meeting you, an absolute dream come true" she said as she had them gather around her. "I'll miss you all so much."

" We'll miss you too, Toony." the Twins said as they, and Tootles, were the first give her hugs.

"We wish you could have been our mother for a while..." Slightly told her sadly as he went in for his embrace.

"I bet we would have had a lot of fun..." Nibbs added, sniffing a bit.

Cubby found that he couldn't really say anything as a wail escaped his lips and he wrapped his arms around her so tight, Toony felt her spin pop uncomfortably in three places.

"G-guys," She started breathlessly when she realized that he wasn't letting up, "A little help!"

And while the lost boys were trying to get their largest member to part from Toony, Tootles used this time to run over to Marie, who smiled and knelt down with her arms open to catch him in a tight hug; And when he finally pulled away from her, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as he presented a single, beat up daisy from the bunch that he had picked for her before they were kidnapped.

"I think I'll miss you the most, sweetheart." she said, taking the daisy from him and ruffling his hair. "You take care of yourself, alright?"

When Toony was finally free, Peter was up next; but not being one for hugs, the boy who never grew up simply held out his hand to her with a large smile. "It was fun having ya here, you should try and stop by so we can play again."

"If that'll be an option, I definitely will, Peter." She told him as she clasped her hand withing his and gave it a hearty shake. But after taking a moment to look around, she gave a little frown. "Hey, where did Tinkerbell go?"

"Huh, I don't know, she just flew off somewhere after we left the Jolly Roger..." Peter said, scratching his head as he looked around for his fairy friend. "Maybe she just doesn't want to say goodbye."

At that, Toony felt her heart sink a little...goodbyes were always hard, she understood that all too well, but she really would have wanted to see her little pixie friend one last time before she left.

"Toony, I know how you feel, but we've got to be going." Marie said gently. " I'd have no problem waiting if it wasn't so important."

"I know, you're right..." Toony said as she walked over to the large sack of pixie dust and pulled it open to look inside at the sparkling grains; And after letting out a soft sigh, she took her hands and scooped up a good amount before she took to the air, sprinkling the dust everywhere she could along their boat until the small vessel glimmered with the magical powder.

And just as Toony used up the portion of the pixie dust, it soon started to slowly rise up out of the water and into the air; Landing back on the deck, she looked over to see that Peter and the boys were already back on the beach, waving farewell to their new friends as Marie turned the ship towards the sky and had them on their way towards their destination.

Toony waved to the Neverland boys until their figures had grown smaller and watched as they eventually returned into the thick green jungle, and she leaned on the rail with a heavy sigh and a rather downcast expression on her face.

"Saying goodbye sucks." She stated miserably, resting her chin on top of her arms. "Especially when you know you'll never see someone again..."

Marie just gave Toony an understanding look, but she didn't say anything as she mainly focused on steering the boat while Cheo and Hiromi wished that their creator didn't feel so bad. Suddenly, Toony's ears twitched as she picked up a sound and she quickly lifted her head up and listened closely; It was faint at first, but after a while, she could hear it clearly.

 _*Wait!*_ a voice called out. _*Hold on, Toony!*_

Then, she saw that familiar golden glow quickly catching up to them until Tinkerbell herself finally arrived, carrying something in her hands.

"Tinkerbell?" Toony asked, pleasantly surprised and happy to see her.

 _*Oh thank goodness, I made it in time to see you before you left. *_ the little pixie told her in-between pants as Toony held up her hands so she could land and rest for a minuet; The young woman waited until Tinkerbell managed to catch her breath before she suddenly got a bashful expression on her face.

 _* Toony, this is for you...*_ she said as she presented a bag that she carried, which was about as big as she was, that was made of woven leaves. And after Toony delicately opened up the top, she cocked her head to the side to see that it was completely filled with pixie dust.

"Is this... _yours?_ " Toony asked her in amazement.

 _*Yeah, I just wanted to give you a little something to remember me by, and to use in case you need it so you won't have to use any of the supply for your ship.*_ Tinkerbell said shyly. _* It was fun playing and fighting pirates with you, and I'll really miss you...I wish you didn't have to leave.*_

"Oh Tink, I'll miss you too." Toony said, touched by the gift, as she securely tied it around her belt loop. " I wish I didn't have to go either, you know I'd stay if I could..."

Tinkerbell only nodded before she flitted over and rested herself on Toonys' shoulder in the best hug she could managed due to being so small, and Toony lightly rested a hand over the little fairy, careful not to bend her wings as they expressed their goodbyes; A light sniffing sound brought their attention over to Marie who had wiped at her eyes once before she was back to steering. But as the two fluffballs were sitting on the wheel in front of her, they saw the whole thing.

"Marie?" Cheo asked.

"Oh hush, It's getting cold up here..." the guide stated.

Tinkerbell and Toony both laughed a little at Maries' unconvincing reason for her sniffles before the fairy flew over to Marie, her bell like voice tinkling in her ears as she spoke.

"What did she say?" Marie asked, a little suspiciously considering their rather rocky relationship.

"She wanted to let you know that she's sorry she judged you so quickly." Toony told her. "She wishes she had more time to really get to know you."

At that, Maries' expression softened, and she nodded to the fairy respectfully. "I wish I did too." she told her sincerely as she gave Tinkerbell a teasing smile.

" _Little firefly._ "

 _*Old stinkbug.*_ Tinkerbell said, grinning back before she nuzzled herself against Maries' cheek and gave hugs to Cheo and Hiromi.

And after giving one last endearing look to all of her new friends, Tinkerbell waved goodbye to them and started back for home, leaving Toony smiling happily as she watched her soft glow disappear in the distance.

Yes, goodbyes were never fun, but at least he knew that the friendship that she made with Peter, Tinkerbell and the lost boys would be ever lasting within her heart. And as she turned back to look at the violet star that shimmered before them, she wondered how many more friendships she would be looking forward to on this journey...

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 **Whew, 7,373 words this chapter was, but it was totally worth it! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!**

 **...well, it wasn't all that fun since there was so much, but I digress, I still hope you had a good read X3**


	11. A Shocking Discovery, Part 1

**Holy muffins, I _finally_ finished up this chapter, sorry it took so long to get up, it's been a little crazy due to the holidays coming up. But, here it is, I hope you all enjoy it :D:D:D**

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 _Chapter 11: A Shocking Discovery, Part 1_

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Toony didn't know how much time had gone by since they had left Neverland, that was really they only annoyance that there wasn't a clock anywhere on their vessel. But it didn't really matter because it was probably the most relaxing time she'd spent aboard as she and Marie began talking more than a few words with each other now that they were finally on good terms; She may have been tired and exhausted from the fight they had with Hook and his crew, but she was so excited and eager to spend this time with her guide.

They talked about what happened after Marie was kidnapped, and she was surprised to learn that the reason Hook had wanted her to bring their boat was because they couldn't get inside the first time thanks to magic wards that prevented enemies from entering.

You learn something new ever day out here...

They also talked about the little things, which Toony stated before that she liked learning the most about someone new, and in that she learned a great deal of what Marie's likes and dislikes were.

She was born and raised in Louisiana, but she didn't go into too much detail about it which Toony didn't mind, and that she had a bit of a soft spot smaller animals, such as little dogs and cats; Though anything bigger than what could fit on her lap she didn't like all that much, not because she thought bigger animals were bad, she just always had a fear of them ever since she was little.

Marie also loved children, but she didn't at all tolerate rude manners or needless, wild behavior, which explained why she was so abrasive with Peter and the lost boys in the beginning. And she enjoyed cooking and baking, and loved to read crime solving mystery novels when she had a moment to herself; All of which Toony really enjoyed hearing about as it felt like she and Marie were growing a bit closer.

"...I think our boat needs a name." Toony suddenly said out of the blue in the conversation she was having with her guide.

"A name?" Marie asked as she took her eyes off the purple star they headed towards, which had grown bigger over time during their talk, and gave Toony a confused look.

"Well yeah, we shouldn't keep calling it 'the boat' all the time, especially since we're probably gonna be using it for a while longer." Toony said, tapping her chin as she tried to come up with a good name. "How does the _Cosmic Phoenix_ sound?"

"Why _that_ name?" Marie questioned, looking a bit interested in her choice.

"Well, look around, doesn't it look like we're sailing right through a starry nebula?" The fox tailed woman asked, gesturing at the swirling pink and purple ties that surrounded them as it twinkled with stars. "It makes sense to have 'cosmic' in the name."

"Alright, I'll give you that." Marie said with a smile "But where does 'phoenix' come from."

"uh, well that's because...nah you'll just think it's dumb." Toony said, looking away in embarrassment.

"What? No I won't, tell me!" the darker haired woman insisted as Toony shook her head 'no' again. " I promise, I won't so much as giggle."

"Come on Toony, you can tell us!" Cheo assured her.

"Yeah, we wanna know too!" Hiromi added with an eager nod. " _Pleeease?_ "

At that, Toony finally relented and let out a small laugh.

" _Alright_ , alright...it's because my grandparents used to have a fishing boat called the 'Arctic Phoenix', and the whole family would go fish for halibut on it every summer since I was five." she explained to them, that embarrassed expression still on her face. "They sold it a few years ago to get a bigger one, but the Phoenix will always be my favorite."

"So, you know...I want to kind of honor it, if that makes sense."

"You're so goofy." Marie suddenly commented with smile that made the blush deeper on Toony's face. "But...it's sweet. Alright, the Cosmic Phoenix it is. "

"Hey look!" Cheo suddenly stated as he pointed ahead with his little paw.

Following it, Toony stood at attention with a look of amazement at the sight. They were so close to the star that it looked just big enough so that the phoenix could perfectly sail right through the middle, and it almost seemed to glow like purple fire. But there were also glimmers of white, sparkling light that shimmered around and inside it.

"What's happening?" Toony finally asked.

"We've arrived, that white glow you see in the light means we're fixin' to go right on through the veil." Marie explained. " Cheo, could you and Romi please sprinkle a bit more pixie dust over the Phoenix? Just enough were we can land safely when we enter the new world."

"Okay Marie, we can do that!" Cheo told her and as he and Hiromi both gave her a salute and fluttered off to do as she asked.

"Hold on, this part might make you feel a little queezy." the guide said as Toony braced herself.

She watched intently as they got closer and closer until it was like they were flying through a purple mist and straight down a tunnel that made it look like they were going warp speed as the light at the end got brighter and brighter until they were sailing through open sky; It was a little disorienting, but amazing to see none-the-less. And as Toony looked around, she watched as they descended down towards a large lake that was surrounded by wooden hills that gave off such a serene feel to it, that she couldn't help but feel relaxed by the sight of it.

"All of this looks very familiar..." Toony commented, mostly to herself as she took in the lush and beautiful scenery. "But where's it from?"

It didn't take long for them to finally reach the still, pristine waters, and after Marie steered the boat making it come to a stop near the banks under the shade of an overhanging tree and dropping anchor.

"Well, while the sun is still high, ya'll might want to get started on this as soon as you can." Marie said, making Toony look back at her.

"You're not coming with me?" she asked.

"I came to this decision after you rescued me from the pirates, but I'll always be here for you to check in with and give advice if you need it; And there needs to someone to watch the Phoenix, anyway, so better that it be me since this quest is yours to solve." Marie explained. "Only if you _really_ need my help, then I promise I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?" Toony asked. "I really didn't mind you with me..."

"Oh baloney, I was a terror and you know it." Marie said playful slap on her arm as she walked back over to the wheel.

"I'm a take charge kind of gal, and if things aren't run my way, I'm irritable and hard to get along with, in case you've forgotten." the guide continued. "You'll be better off figuring this out in your own unique way without me there to stop you."

"Just...if there's anything or anyone dangerous around, don't do something reckless, okay?"

Toony laughed as she walked over to the door little door at the side of the boat, but as she opened it, she hesitated "But what if someone see's the Phoenix? I don't want you to get kidnapped again if they happen to be bandits..."

"Naw, they wouldn't even be able to get in the door, remember?" Marie asked with a smile before she suddenly reached over and grabbed the handle of a solitary lever Toony hadn't noticed before that was by the ship wheel. "Plus, nobody can inspect what they can't see..."

And before Toony could asked what she meant, Marie pulled down the lever and the fox eared young woman gaze a short gasp as the boat suddenly pulsed under her feet. Thought nothing really looked different after a little while of waiting...but when Toony looked over the rail at the water, her mouth dropped open to discover that the only thing she could see in the reflection was her own head hovering in mid-air.

"Did you just make the boat _invisible?!_ " Toony asked in surprise.

"Well, I didn't pull the emergency break." Marie said jokingly. "The sorcerer really knows how to keep a person safe, and if I stay inside the cabin, people will just stride right past me without giving this area so much as a second glance. Maybe if I had thought to do this at Neverland, we could have avoided the extra head ache."

"Ha, yeah, but then we probably wouldn't have become friends if you did." Toony said. "Count your blessings, right?

Marie smiled and gave a short nod before she ushered Toony towards the deck door to land. "Now, you three better skedaddle, the sooner you do what you need to, the sooner we can head out to the next world."

"But if nothing happens, try not to stay out when it starts to get dark; just come back and we'll try again tomorrow, got it?"

"No sparkle, no stay out, got it." Toony said as she gave Marie a thumbs up while her fluffballs followed after her excitedly before she opened the door and jumped out. But as she flew through the air, her eyes widened in surprise when she suddenly noticed that the bangle started to glow with a bright light before cloths shortly began to shine as well; And once her feet touched the grassy earth, her mouth dropped open in absolute shock to see that her sweater and jeans had been traded in for long green skirt, a brown corset and a long sleeve, off shoulder white top.

"Hey, what the _Marie!_ " Toony nearly yelled at the top of her lungs.

After her cry, she heard the rapid foot falls of her guide running towards the side of the vessel before her dark haired head popped into sight.

" _What?_ Where's the fire?!" she demanded, her hazel eyes darting left and right to see what the problem was.

"What's going on?!" Toony demanded, gesturing to her new change in attire.

" _Oh_ , you nearly gave me a heart attack!" her guide told her as she relaxed and she sent Toony a humorous smile. "The bangle changes your outfit to better match the people of the worlds we visit, did Yen Sid forget to tell you that?"

"Yes, he neglected to share that bit of information!" Toony stated through gritted teeth. "It didn't do this in Neverland!"

She knew she was making too much of a fuss about something that really wasn't all that bad, but she really didn't appreciate it when things would suddenly go changing on her without warning. _Especially_ when it involved her cloths.

"It didn't need to because we hadn't officially started the journey." Marie explained. "Plus, Peter and the lost boys were kids, and as kids, there's many other things that are more important to them then how others are dressed."

"But now that we _are_ visiting other worlds, we don't want people asking questions about where you come from."

"Oh, but they won't ask me that if they see _these?_ " Toony asked, gesturing to her ears and tail.

"Hey, I don't have all the answers all the time, just say your some kind of mythical creature...or hide them." Marie told her with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well you're a great help!" the fox eared woman grumbled out as her tail flicked in agitation as Cheo and Hiromi both giggled a little.

"Like I said, I don't have the answers." Marie reminded her with a wink. "You're a smart girl, Toony, you can figure anything out if you only go and put your mind to it."

Letting out a sigh, Toony only nodded; She was in a dress now, she didn't have to be particularly happy about it, but it was no use to just stand there and complain; So, after making sure that everyone was ready, minus Marie as she left to go inside the cabin, she lead the way into the forest before them...hoping that they wouldn't end up lost as they searched for what ever it was they were supposed to be looking for.

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"Toony, are we lost?" came Cheo's fourth time asking during the hour they had spent wandering around in the forest.

"No, Cheo, we are not lost..." Toony told him as she paused and looked left and right while she tried to decided which way to go. Though before she could make up her mind, her fluffballs flew before her with worried expressions on their faces.

"But...that's this same flower patch we passed by before." Hiromi told her as she pointed a little paw towards a large patch of daisies.

"How do you figure? These woods are _full_ of flower patches, they all look the same." Toony said as she spread her arms around the place.

"Because this is the one I picked." Hiromi told her, fluttering down and picking up a daisy that had been laying on the ground away from the others. "I wanted to pick some, but you said we didn't have time to stop right then..."

Chewing on her lip as she wanted to say that it was only a coincidence, but after a few moments, Toony finally relented and leaned against a tree with a tired sigh before she slide down to sit on the soft grass.

"Okay, so _maybe_ I've been leading us around in circles, but we're not lost." Toony promised as Cheo and Hiromi rested on her knees. "See that path by the broken tree trunk with all the primroses growing around it? Going down there will take us right back to the Phoenix...But I guess that's about _all_ I know as I have no idea where I'm supposed to go or who, or even what, I need to be looking for."

"Don't worry Toony, it'll turn out alright." Cheo told her as he offered her a catty grin. "Maybe we'll get lucky and something will happen that'll tell us what to do."

"And we can sit here if you want." Hiromi said. "It's still sunny outside, so it's okay to stay here for a little bit."

"Aw, you just wanna pick your flowers." Toony said with a laugh. "Alright, it wouldn't hurt to take a little break; You guys go have some fun."

With happy cheers, the two fluffballs did just that as they zoomed over to the daisies and began having a field day with each other; Occasionally wrestling and chasing one another around before they finally settled down and began picking many daisies with white and yellow petals as they could while Toony just watched with a smile.

She was happy that they were having so much fun, and there was something about this woods that made her feel so...at ease, like she could just take this moment and forget about all her troubles; and taking a long breath, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the tree trunk; But after a few moments, she suddenly began to hear something...she opened her eyes and looked to her right through the trees as her ears perked forward. It was faint, but she could swear it was someone _singing_.

"Hey guys, quiet down for a minuet..." She called to Cheo and Hiromi as she stood to her feet and took a few steps in the direction the sound was coming from.

Doing as she asked, they both watched intently as their creator looked around with twitching ears, but Toony couldn't hear anything at the moment. But when she began to worry if she missed it, it suddenly started back up again.

It _definitely_ was singing, and whoever it was, had one of the most beautiful voices she had ever heard.

"It's down this way," Toony told her fluffballs as she started hurrying on through the trees. "Come on, follow me!"

"Hey, wait up!" Cheo called as he and Hiromi quickly followed after her, still holding on to the flowers they had picked.

Thanks to her fox ears, Toony didn't have any problem tracking down were the voice was coming from. She had to stop and wait a couple of times as it would cut out with a pause, but thankfully, it would start right back up again; She didn't stop until she slowly and carefully stopped behind a large tree as it sounded like the person was only a few feet away from her.

By this time, after listening to this beautiful voice, she finally had an idea of where she was, and if the person she was thinking of really was there, she could barely contain a smile as her fluffballs looked at her in confusion.

"Why did you stop Toony?" Hiromi asked. "Don't you want to see who it is?"

But the fox tailed young woman put a finger to her lips before she made a motion for them to wait right in this spot until she called for them. Then dropping low, she slowly crawled around the tree trunk and started towards a thick patch of leafy bushes so she could get a better look and think of a plan; She had already knew that the person who was singing was a young lady, and she could hear her humming and giggling on the other side. And occasionally, she saw the top of a blonde head bob over the top of the bushes, as though she were dancing around.

So when Toony finally made it and she carefully parted some leaves and peeked through, her smile widening as her guess turned out to be right...

There, twirling around with a basket filled with berries, with long flowing hair that seemed filled with sunshine and rose red lips that were set in a beautiful smile on her equally beautiful face as she played with the animals of the forest, was the princess Aurora.

It took everything Toony had to stifle a laugh of excitement as a real Disney princesses was right there before her, but she managed to stay quiet as she quickly looked her over to try and find out where she might have been in time; Aurora was dressed in her peasant girl cloths, that large violet shawl resting about she arms, so that must have meant Toony had arrived sometime before she met prince Philip...though how long before, she couldn't say for sure.

But as she continued to watch the young maiden Toony suddenly found that she had no idea how to proceed in this situation. Aurora must be the person she was trying to help since she was one the movie was centered around...but what should she do now? Did she need to talk to her? Did she need to keep out of sight and figure out how to help in some other way? What was she supposed to help with _anyway?_

If she ever saw that sorcerer again she was gonna let him have it for leaving her with so little to go on!

 _ **Snap!**_

Toony instantly ducked down and glared down at the twig that had broken in two underneath her hand and blown her cover.

"Oh, what have we here?" she heard Auroras sweet voice ask. " A new forest friend?"

Toony greatly hoped that a bird or a rabbit had come out and distracted Aurora and her animals from the noise she made as her ears picked up the light and soft footfalls of the gentle princess.

"Why, a fox has come to join us." she stated happily.

A fox? Well that was kind of surprising considering the changes in Toonys' appeara...wait.

"Don't be shy little darling, come out and say hello." she heard the young maiden say before Toony suddenly felt fingers stroke along the shell of her left ear.

And although they were gentle, it still made Toony let out surprised cry at the unexpected touch before she quickly sat up and clamped her hands over her ears and met with the lavender gaze of an equally surprised princess Aurora

" _Oh!_ " the young lady exclaimed, obviously startled as her animal friends scattered about.

Toony felt like a really long time had passed as she and Aurora just seemed to stare at each other, but after a while, Toony finally decided to break the silence by clearing her throat and letting out an uneasy laugh.

"Um...hi?" Toony began with a nervous smile as she gave a weak wave of her hands. "I'm Toony, nice to meet you."

But Aurora didn't answer back as her eyes seemed to be glued to Toony's head, and she realized that she was staring at her ears.

"Okay, I know I may look a bit strange to you." Toony continued in a soft and easy tone, walked out from the bushes and into open as slowly as she could so she wouldn't scare her even more than she most likely was. "But I promise, I'm not here to hurt-"

"My goodness, what ever sort of creature are you?" Aurora asked, curiosity seeming to out weigh any wariness she may have had as she looked from Toonys' ears to her tail, much to the fox tailed womans surprise.

"Uh, well I-" But Toony wasn't given a chance to answer when the young princess began asking even more questions.

"Could you be a woodland sprite?" the inquisitive maiden asked as she walked around redheaded young woman to further inspect Toonys tail. "Are you a fairy of sorts?"

" Well, um..." But again, Toony wasn't able to answer when Aurora suddenly reached up with both hands and rubbed her ears, making Toony feel a little like InuYasha when people would touch his ears in fascination.

"Oh my, they truly _are_ real!" she exclaimed with a fascinated smile. "But how can this-"

"Haha, _hold on!_ " Toony said with a laugh as she put her hands on the princesses shoulders so she could get a word in.

"Like I said, my name is Toony." she told her. "And I suppose you could say I'm like a woodland sprite, some of them could look like I do...oh hold on, I have a couple of friends standing by."

"Cheo, Romi, come on out and say hello."

Now sooner did she say that, they quickly zoomed into view, big smiles on their fuzzy faces as they fluttered their little wings over close to the young princess, her eyes wide with wonder.

"How sweet!" Aurora commented as she clasped her hands together.

"Hiya, I'm Cheo." Cheo introduced excitedly as both he and Hiromi suddenly offered her the flowers they had picked.

"I'm Hiromi." her little girl said shyly. "You're _really_ pretty!"

"Oh what little darlings you are, it's very nice to meet you all," the princess said as she accepted the white and yellow daisies. "My name is Briar Rose."

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Toony didn't know how long it had been since she and her fluffballs had met Aurora, but she wasn't complaining as they helped her picked some berries. She had to be careful not to address her as 'Aurora' just yet, but it was still fun to hang out with her like this, even more so as her animal friends started getting braver and seemed more interested in the new comers.

Aurora sang some more as well, a tune that Toony recognized as the little love song she sang right before the owl, the squirrel and the two rabbits and little birds stole prince Philips cape and boots to try and cheer her up after confessing that she dreamed of meeting someone; But instead seeming sad like she had before, the princess looked more cheerful.

Maybe it was because she thought that she had finally found new friendship, other than her beloved aunts and forest friends, which Toony was all too happy to extend.

Finally, when it looked like they had picked enough, they all sat down to rest for a while and Aurora started putting some of the daisies Cheo and Hiromi had given to her in Toonys' hair, which she allowed without any complaint; It was all a bit girly for her if she was being totally honest, but still nice and relaxing nonetheless.

And who else could have the chance to say that she had spent the day picking berries and having her hair played with by with a Disney princess?

"...And my birthday is tomorrow." Aurora said after a little while of talking about herself at Toonys' request. "I'll be sixteen years old."

"Well that's awesome!" Toony stated with a grin. "Sixteen years old, huh? That's cause for a real party!"

Aurora let out a little laugh as she took one more daisy from Hiromi and started tying a strand of her red hair around it.

"I hope you don't think me rude, but you have a very... _different_ way of talking, Toony." she commented. "Does everyone speak in the same way in your land?"

"Oh uh, yeah, I guess you could say that, most of them do anyway." Toony said, a little hesitant to really share too much and give herself away. But as if there was someone looking out for her, Toony suddenly let out a long yawn that was followed in suit by Cheo and Hiromi.

"Wow, holy muffins, I'm sorry about that, I just remembered that we haven't really slept all that well in a while..." Toony apologized sheepishly, taking her fluffballs into her arms when they started loosing altitude from exhaustion. "Just been having a lot of fun to really notice until now."

"Oh my, well it's no wonder, it's very well into the evening." Aurora stated as she looked to the sun that was drifting along the horizon. "I should have returned _hours_ ago, aunt Flora, Fauna and Merryweather will be so worried about me."

With that, most of the critters that were there seemed to agree as they soon started to scurry and fly back to their nests; and Toony and Aurora stood to their feet.

"Can we meet again tomorrow, Toony? I simply _must_ introduce you to my three aunts." the young girl said as she gathered her things. "I'm sure they would adore you as much as I do."

At that, Toony had to mentally restrain herself from squeeing out loud at the princesses sheer, innocent adorableness. But she did allow herself to wrap Aurora up in a big hug to which the golden haired maiden happily returned.

"Sure thing, I'd love to meet your Aunts, hun." Toony told her sincerely before she pulled back and gave her a thumbs up before she started off down the way she came before they met. " I'll definitely see you tomorrow!"

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It had taken a little bit of time to find the tree stump with primroses, but thankfully, Toony finally managed to find the path and make it back to the lake before it had gotten too dark to see around her; Though it was a bit of a challenge to find the door since the boat was still invisible on the outside.

She had to wake up Cheo and Hiromi to help her out some, and although they were still sleepy, they flew over inside and opened up the door for her before she climb in and had them follow her inside; And to her surprise, she saw that Marie was already snuggled in the covers of her bed under the loft, sound asleep.

But she didn't stay surprised for long, Marie must have been as exhausted as she was after the pirate fiasco in Neverland and spending the whole trip here talking with Toony, she was bound to use the chance that Toony was away for some well deserved shut eye. Which Toony fully intended to do as well right after she took a relaxing shower; Finally, she was ready for bed, and this time, dressed up in pink pajama pants with white pinstripes and a dark gray tank top that she wore under a large white night shirt that went down to her knees.

She tiptoed up the steps so she wouldn't wake her guide as her fluffballs rested on her shoulders, looking just as run down as Toony felt. But thankfully, neither of them had to wait much longer until they were in the cushy bed and under the blankets.

But as Toony lay there in her bed, she couldn't help but let her mind wander here and there. She thought about tomorrow, wondering what it was she needed to look out for; So far, nothing out of the ordinary had happened, she actually had a lot of fun spending time with Aurora and her animal friends today; Though as she looked at the bangle on her wrist, her eyes took in all the different colored diamonds, she wondered which of the other worlds she would be visiting if she ever figured this out...

But she also thought of home, of what her family must be doing...especially her husband.

To say she simply missed him would be a severe understatement; It hurt her to imagine him right now...maybe looking for her everywhere, but not able to find her, she truly wished there was a way for her to tell him that she was alright and that she would be home as soon as she was able...

Movement at her side made her glance over to see Cheo and Hiromi, curled up around each other as they snuggled closely against her. The adorable sight was enough to put her mind at rest, at least for now as she felt the pull of sleep beckon to her sleep and recover for a new day.

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 **Welp, there it is, I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I'll try and get some more done soon X3**

 **Oh, and if your interested to see what kind of outfits you can expect to see, you can always visit my account on DeviantArt, just type it 'THP Outfits' in the search engine of my gallery.**

 **See ya later!**


	12. A Shocking Discovery, Part 2

**Wow, this took _much_ longer to get done than it should have*faints* so much rush for the holidays, but I finally got a little break for it.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy the chapter :D:D:D**

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 _Chapter 12: A Shocking Discovery, Part 2_

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"Toony, wake up!" a voice said, startling Toony from the deep sleep she was in as once again she felt the little feet of her fluffballs bouncing on her shoulders.

" _Nuuu_ , sleep is too good right now." she mumbled as as she tried turn over and ignore them, but they just wouldn't give up as they kept hopping along her figure with an endless ring of laughter and giggles. And she grunted when they managed to tickle her ribs through her blankets which she did not appreciate all that much.

"You know, I don't remember creating you two to be such cheerful early risers!" she stated rather grumpily.

"Sorry, that's my fault." came Maries' voice as Toony looked over to see her walking up the stairs into her loft. I started getting ready and it woke them up."

Toony only gave a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose as Maire sat down on the edge of her mattress, running her slender fingers through her dark, chestnut brown hair to get stray tangles out of it. "What time is it?"

"Can't say for sure without a clock, but I'd guess about thirty minuets past sun rise by now." Marie stated as she looked out the window at the light began to touch more of the land the higher it rose. " Forty-five at the most."

"Oh _no,_ don't tell me you're _that_ kind of morning person..."Toony grumbled as she then pulled the covers over her head. "Come on, we had a long day yesterday, can't I sleep in? You should still be tired too!"

"Ha, oh I am, but I just can't sleep anymore once the sun comes shining in." Marie said. "Both of my parents used to work long hours to provide for the house, so I've had plenty of practice getting up in the early hours preparing meals and getting my younger siblings ready for the day. Those old habits are just hard to break, I guess."

At that, Toony woke up a little more with interest as she sat up a bit and fixed Marie with an impressed expression.

"Wow, that's really awesome that you helped your parents out like that." the fox eared woman commented. "How many siblings did you say you had again?"

But Marie tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as a half smirk appeared on her face.

"I didn't." she said. "Nice try, though."

" _Awww_ , and we made so much progress yesterday!" Toony whined.

"Sorry, maybe I'll tell you next time." her guide said as she patted Toony on the knee and got up to head back downstairs. "Welp, you better get ready then, Cheo and Hiromi mentioned that you were supposed to meet with a _princess_ today; Sleeping Beauty, right?"

"Aurora, one of the first Disney princesses." Toony said before she gasped in realization and bolted out of bed. "Oh man, I was gonna make something for her!"

She quickly slipped out of her night close and got dressed as fast as she was able, trying to come up with something she could bring Aurora when they met up again. "Hey Marie, do we have anything here that I could make a present out of of?"

"Uh, maybe, why do you need a present?" came her guides voice from the kitchen as Toony hurried down the steps.

"It's Aurora's birthday today, I wanted to bring her something for it." Toony explained, heading down from her loft as she tried to tame her wild bed head, but to no avail.

"Hmmm, this might work..." Marie said as she went over to the fridge and pulled out a large, fat package of chocolate chip cookie dough that made Toony let out a laugh.

"Haha, what's _this_ in there for?" Toony asked.

"You not the only one who has her favorite treats in this kitchen, I may like hard candies best, but chocolate chip cookies are great when my sweet tooth comes a callin'." Marie said with a grin as she handed the package over to Toony. "Just pull off some from that to bake and we can tie it up in a little hand towel for her when they're done."

"I'll cook us up some breakfast in the meantime."

That sounded like a solid plan as Toony pulled off six good sized pieces from the stick of cookie dough and put them on the tray. And after she got them in the oven, she poured herself a glass of milk to have with breakfast and sat at the island with Cheo and Hiromi, munching on a few grapes with them while Marie continued to cooked at the stove.

Truth be told, she was never much of a breakfast eater, either being too tired to be hungry or she just felt too queezy to eat anything; but whatever spices Marie was cooking with smelled so good, it was making her fussy stomach growl with anticipation.

Scrambled eggs with toast, two pieces of bacon and a white, buttery substance that kind of resembled buttery, mashed potatoes...

"Are those grits?" Toony asked.

"J'ep, I'm from the south, wouldn't be the perfect breakfast without them in my opinion." Marie told her, digging into her own plate.

Toonys' father had only ever cooked grits very rarely, but even he couldn't get them to taste as good as her grandparents could, both on her mother and fathers side. All of them were from the south and they grew up eating grits all the time.

She scooped up a little bit of it, hesitant to try since it wasn't cooked by any of her grandparents, but as she ate it, her eyes widened and a smile appeared on her face.

" _Mmm_ , Marie, this is _delicious!_ " Toony complimented, going for more and savoring every bite. " What did you cook the eggs with? It has a really good heat to it."

"Just salt and pepper mostly, but I did add a tiny bit of Cajun seasoning for more flavor." her guide told her with a small grin as she took a drink from her glass of orange juice. "I'm glad you like it, Toony."

After that, all of them enjoyed the rest of their meal until the timer on the oven finally went off.

"Alright, these are looking great!" Toony commented happily as the warm, sweet aroma wafted around her nose.

But as she looked over at the empty cookie wrap, she felt a little bad for using up one of Maries' favorite treats.

" I'm sorry Marie," The fox eared woman apologized. "I can leave some of these here if you'd like me to."

"Oh don't you worry about it, go take a peek in the fridge." her guide said with a smile.

Giving her a confused look, Toony walked back over to the refrigerator and opened up the door, blinking in surprise to see that there was a brand new unopened roll of chocolate chip cookie dough sitting on the shelf where she had gotten it from; She looked back over to the counter where she had left the the wrapper, but sure enough, it was gone.

"The joys of magic." Marie said, chuckling a bit at Toonys' amazed expression. " I'm sure this trip will be a long one, and anything we use up gets replaced, so we won't have to worry about going hungry."

"If we ever see Yen Sid again, we'll have to thank him for being such a great help."

"Oh man, we need to get ready!" Toony exclaimed as she grabbed her empty plate, placed it in the sink and grabbed some oven mitts before she pulled out the cookie tray. "Aurora should be at the glade by now, and I want to give her these before prince Philip comes by!"

" I'm gonna go fix my hair real quick while these cool, Romi, can you and Cheo pull out a white hand hand towel to put these in while I'm in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, we can do that, Toony." her little girl fluffball assured with a sweet grin.

They were still a little warm, but Toony really didn't want to wait much longer, hopefully they would be alright by the time she met up with Aurora.

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"Aw nuggets, I should have waited just a little longer..." Toony stated, back in her maiden dress once again. It was still a little weird that her cloths would magically change because of the bangle, but she didn't dwell on it for long as she put her hand under the still warm bundle of cookies. "It's starting to feel like a a big chocolate chip _lump_ than a batch of cookies."

"I bet Rose will like them okay." Cheo assured her from his place on her head. " chocolate chip cookies always taste good, even if they're all crumbs or lumps."

"So don't worry, okay Toony." Hiromi chimed in as she suddenly flew over and began tying stems of a few blue and pink flowers she had picked around the neck of the towel for decoration.

That did make the fox eared woman feel a bit better, but when they reached the little glade where they had met Aurora yesterday, she was surprised to see that there was no sign of the golden haired princess or her forest friends. Not even so much a chipmunk to be spotted anywhere.

"Did Rose forget we were coming back?" Hiromi asked as they looked around the empty clearing.

"I don't think so..." Cheo said as he fluttered over towards a large tree trunk that had Aurora's purple shawl and berry basket laying on it. "This is hers, isn't it?"

Toony looked down at them, and realizing what she was sure was going on at this moment, she quickly and quietly raced across the grass and past a still, crystal clear lake until she came to a stop near before a cliff that showed a perfect view of King Stephan's castle in the distance.

With Aurora and Prince Philip himself cuddled up and enjoying the view as well as each others company.

"Toony, who's that?" came Cheo's voice that nearly made her jump out of her skin.

" _Shhh!_ " she stated as she quickly ushered her fluffballs into some cover behind a tree to keep out of sight.

"Who are you?" came Philips voice. "What's your name?"

The three of them peeked around the tree as Aurora began to stir, letting out a soft, fanciful hum as though she was just starting to wake up from a nice dream.

"Oh, my name, why it's...it's..." But as the beautiful, golden haired maiden looked up at him, that blissful expression suddenly changed into concern as all the years of her Aunts warnings suddenly came rushing back to her and she backed away from him a bit, shaking her head. "Oh no, no, I _can't_ I-"

Her sudden change in behavior startled most of her forest friends, and the prince could only watch as she ducked under the low hanging branch.

"Goodbye!" she cried.

"But when will I see you again?" Prince Philip asked as she started to run off.

"Oh never, _Never!_ " Aurora stated, waving her hands before she quickly picked up her shawl and basket of berries.

"Never?!" He repeated in disbelief.

After that, Toony started running ahead in the direction to meet up with Aurora a ways down the path as the princess had a change of heart and hastily, but excitedly, told Philip to come back and find her at the cottage in the glen tonight; And only when she finally saw that Aurora was alone and out of eyesight from the prince did she and her fluffballs come out of hiding.

"Why miss Briar Rose, who in the world could that handsome young man have been?" Toony asked with a grin that was ear to ear as Aurora stopped to speak to her.

She was positively beaming with happiness.

"Oh Toony, he's _wonderful!_ " Aurora said as she took Toony by the hands and spun around with that dreamy expression still on her face. "How handsome he was, and kind and so romantic, Oh I just _know_ he's the one I've been dreaming about!"

Ahh, young love...Toony smiled as Aurora reminded her of how it was when she first met the boy that was to be her husband, and such a wonderful feeling it was.

"I can't wait to tell my aunts about him, I'm going to the cottage right away!" the golden haired princess said excitedly before she gave a gasp as an idea and clasped her hands within hers. "And you can come with me!"

"Well, I _did_ say I'd meet your aunts today." Toony told her with a laugh at how adorably excited Aurora was. " Lead the way, my dear!"

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The distance from the old woodcutters cottage Aurora was raised in was actually a lot further than Toony expected it to be, but she didn't mind as it was so cute and sweet to see Aurora happy and humming that all familiar tune of 'Once Upon a Dream' nearly skipping the entire way until they reached the glen where her cozy little home was nestled away almost out of sight.

"Now wait right here, I'll have them come out and meet you right after I tell them about the boy." The young princess instructed, hardly able to contain her excitement. "He's coming over tonight, you know, I have so much to do before he arrives!"

Toony gave an understanding nod before Aurora gave an excited giggle and started towards the cottage.

"Aunt Flora!" she called as she hurried to the door and stepped inside. "Aunt Flora, Fauna, Merryweather!"

But once she disappeared, Toony slowly lost her smile...after this moment, things wouldn't seem so happy for Aurora as her whole world would change forever. And that got her thinking, was her mission to help prince Philip come to her rescue when she fell into that dark slumber or was she supposed to keep that evil curse from falling upon her entirely?

As much as she adored the sweet princess, the thought of either of those possibilities was rather frightening; To think that she would actually need to go toe to toe with the one who placed that terrible fate upon Aurora in the first place...just what could she do against an all powerful witch?

"Toony?" Hiromi asked when she noticed the sad look on her creators face. "What's wrong?"

Though before she could begin to answer her, she suddenly noticed movement at the window of the cottage, and her light green eyes widened to see that it was a raven, the very same raven that was the faithful pet of Maleficent, the Mistress of all Evil

Toony couldn't yell out, so instead she ran towards the cottage with the intent to scare him away. Although she already had a feeling that it wouldn't make much of a difference as he more than likely got what he came for already, but that didn't slow her down in the slightest.

" _Shoo!_ Get out of here you nasty thing!" she rasped out, trying to keep her voice down as much as she could so she wouldn't bring attention to herself. The black bird didn't make a sound for the same reason as he frantically flapped his wings and lost a few feathers, but as she flew away, he sent Toony a dirty look before he disappearance over the trees of the forest to hurry back to his dark mistress with news of the whereabouts of the princess she placed a curse upon 16 years ago...

"Oh no, _no!_ " Toony suddenly heard the princess cry, her heart wrenching as she looked in through the window to see the look of absolute despair on Aurora's face after her three Aunts finally reviled the truth of who she was. "I cant believe it! _No!_ "

And with that, the princess broke away from them, sobbing into her hands as she ran up the stairs to be alone and leaving her three aunts looking positively heartbroken as their special surprise for their dearest charge didn't go as planned at all.

"And we thought she'd be so happy..." Merryweather stated solemnly to her fairy sisters.

Aurora had forgotten all about Toony, but she couldn't blame her, to hear news such as this when raised in such a cozy and simple way...especially when love had blossomed only to find out that she was promised to another... this must have been so hard on her.

"Well, let's just give her some time, dears..." Flora said. "It's still a good while before sunset, so let us start gathering our things before we head to the castle."

"Yes, that's a good idea, Flora." Merryweather said with a sad nod.

"Oh I do hope the poor darling will be alright." Fauna stated worriedly. "It's terrible to see her so upset..."

"What's the matter, Toony?" Hiromi whispered to Toony's right on the windowsill as she looked up at her creator, not really understanding what was going on. " Why was Rose crying? Everyone looks so sad..."

But before Toony could explain, she suddenly felt a short pull on her left wrist that made her glance over to Cheo who still had his furry little face pressed against the glass as he was trying to figure out what went wrong when everyone had been so cheerful before.

"What is it, Cheo?" she asked, making him turn around and blink up at her with those deep green eyes of his.

"Huh?"

"You just tugged on my wrist, " Toony said. " Did you need to tell me something?"

Cheo just looked up at her in confusion, though before he could reply, a rustling sound suddenly caught Toonys' ears and she moved away from window and looked around to see what had made it. She didn't see anything at first, but when she heard it again, she looked up at the opened window to Auroras room just in time to see bed sheets that had been tied together spill over the windowsill...

Her mouth dropping open in disbelief when the princess herself soon began climbing out.

What the heck was _this?_ This wasn't part of the movie at all!

But then she remembered...Yen Sid did say that there would be some things that would be different then how it was in the movies, maybe this was what he meant; And as Aurora finally made it down to the ground, Toony quietly walk up to her from behind.

" Rose?" she whispered, making the young maiden whip around to face her as a soft gasp escaped from her lips. "What're you _doing?_ "

"I can't stay here, I..." Aurora looked back at the house only once before she turned back to her. "I'm going to run away!"

Toony blinked, not sure if she had hear correctly, opening her mouth and closing it dumbly until she finally found words. "Um...when you say _run away_ , do you me like, 'leave and never come back' or-"

"Come away with me," Aurora said, taking a surprised Toony by the hand. "I'll tell you everything, just come away with me!"

"Look, sweetie, I really don't think this is a good ide- _ack!_ " but Toony's protest was cut short when Aurora tugged her along to follow her; For such a gentle girl, she could be rather insistent when she wanted to be...

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 **Woooo! chapter 12 done and over!*claps hands in satisfaction. I'll be working on the next here and there :D:D:D**


	13. A Shocking Discovery, Part 3

**Woof, this took way longer than it should have, sorry about that guy! DX  
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 **But I hope you're still able to enjoy the chapter!**

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 _Chapter 13: A Shocking Discovery, Part 3 **  
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Aurora practically dragged Toony the whole way back to the glade where they first met and where she had danced with prince Philip; And after she had the fox eared woman sit down upon a fallen tree, with a rather surprising force, she then fervently proceeded to tell her what had happened between her and her aunts. Describing how surprised and happy she had been at first to see that they had made her a beautiful blue dress and a magnificent cake to celebrate her birthday.

But as soon as she mentioned the boy, they immediately began to speak of how terrible it was; and when she asked why, they told her it was because she was a princess, and betrothed to princess since the day of her birth.

And as such, she was never to see the young man she had fallen in love with again...

"I just can't believe it, it _can't_ be true!" Aurora said as she continued to pace along the grass, just about wearing it down until the dirt underneath was showing. " All these years, how could they keep something like this from me?!"

"I...I'm sure they wanted to tell you sooner hun," Toony offered meekly, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Aurora had actually run away from home. " When loved ones hide a secret so big for so long, it's because they're trying to protect those they care about from something."

"No, no this is just too much!" the golden haired maiden said, waving her hands in the air as though she were trying to shoo the whole thing away. "I can't be a princess, I know nothing of royalty, they _have_ to be mistaken!"

"Oh how could they do this too me?!"

At that, Toony looked up at her in surprise, surely Aurora didn't really blame her three aunts for this. She was only heartbroken because she was told that she would never be able to see the boy she fell in love with, and while Flora, Fauna and Merryweather may not have been the most perfect of caretakers, they still loved her so much and only ever wanted her to be safe and happy.

"And yet you know it's _not_ a mistake." Toony said gently, catching her by the wrist to stop her from pacing and easing the princess to sit down next to her. "Deep down, I'm sure that you must have known that they where keeping something from you; And maybe on more than one occasion, they even tried to tell you...it just never able to come out until it was, well, a little too late."

"And besides, your aunts would never lie about something as important as this, would they?"

"Well...no, but it's just- it can't possibly be..." Aurora started before a fresh wave of tears welled within her eyes. "Oh it's so _unfair!_ "

And with a heart wrenching sob, she threw herself on Toonys' lap and began to cry. And for a moment, Toony only shared looks with Cheo and Hiromi, who also looked close to tears at the sight of how sad and upset their fair friend was.

"Oh honey, I know that all this must be quite a shock..." Toony finally began, running her hand over Aurora's soft, sunshine locks. "Ever since you were little, this life has been all you've known, and now that you suddenly find that everything is changing just when it began to become a little sweeter...I can understand how you feel."

"How could you _possibly_ understand?" Aurora asked, refusing to lift her head and meet her eyes, "You're not a princess destined to lead a kingdom you don't know how to rule, promised to marry someone you don't love..." She then continued to weep upon as she no doubt longed for the young man to come again and take her away from this fate.

At that, Toony inwardly sighed as she continued to stroke her hair, a little unsure of what she could do to console her.

She didn't think that outright telling her what would happen what the best way to go, that would raise too many questions, and even worse, that could change the whole course of the story...even if Maleficents' curse was avoided before the day was over, she hated to even imagine what the sorceress would try to do to her in the future.

But as Toony looked over to the sun that had slowly descended, bathing the forest in it's late afternoon light... what _else_ could she do for her?

While Aurora was right about her not being a princess and betrothed, there have been things in her life that allowed her to relate to how she was feeling with the utmost clarity; the only difference in Toonys' case though, which she envied Aurora a little for, her experiences didn't have a story book ending.

Wait... _a story book!_

"Once upon a time, in a far away land...there lived a good king and his beautiful queen..." Toony began, finally getting Aurora to stop crying and slowly lift her head up. Just a bit, but it was enough for Toony to keep going.

"For many years they ruled their kingdom justly and fair and were adored by all, but still they were disheartened, for they greatly longed for a child to love." the young maiden slowly sat up as Toony continued on with the story. She was a bit irritated in herself that she couldn't exactly remember how the beginning of her movie went, but it seemed she was doing an okay job if she had Aurora's attention. "Then, after years of waiting, their prayers were finally answered and they were blessed with an infant daughter they could call their own."

"And like the warm, beautiful dawn that filled their lives with sunshine and happiness, they had named their sweet child, Aurora."

"Aurora? Why that's... _me_ , that's what my aunts said my name was." the young princess started in disbelief. "But how did you know that?"

"It's the story that's told throughout your fathers kingdom, all in the land know of it, and _that's_ why you shouldn't run away." Toony said. "Your mother and father are waiting for you to return, more than eager to finally have their daughter returned to them after sixteen long years."

"B-but then _why?_ If they truly loved me as you say, then why did they just send me away?" Aurora asked.

"It wasn't completely by their choice sweetie...it's because an evil fairy placed a curse on you." Toony told her truthfully, making the princess let out a gasp. " A curse to die before your sixteenth birthday came to an end."

"Your father and mother didn't know what they could do to protect you, but their trusted friends, the three good fairies had an idea...in order to keep you safe, they went to the king and queen with the plan to take you far away, disguised as human women and raise you as though you were their own."

"Then, the three fairies...they are my Aunts?" Aurora stated, surprise appearing on her fair features.

"They are, and for sixteen years, they raised you as mortals and hid their true, magical selves in hopes to keep you hidden away from the sight of the one who intended to do you harm; So that you may grow and live past this this terrible fate."

"They did only thing the wicked sorceress would never expect them to do, with the one thing in all the world that she could _never_ have in herself..."

"What was that?" the princess asked, eager to know.

" _Love_ , Aurora, it's what kept you safe for all this time." Toony said, taking Aurora's hands in hers and squeezing them. "And if you run away now, you'll never meet the two people in this world who love you more than any."

"But, the boy I met," Aurora began, her lavender eyes tearing up again. "Toony, If I'm a princess, then I'll never see him again!"

"And what makes you say that?" Toony asked her. "Nothing is set in stone, you just might be surprised in what happens before the night is over."

"Then...does that mean you know if our paths will cross again?" Aurora asked, an ever so hopeful expression appearing on her beautiful face that made Toony inwardly kick herself for saying a bit too much.

"All I can say is don't run away from who you are, otherwise, you'd be losing a lot more than just the boy you gave your heart to, you'd be losing a family." The fox eared woman said. "Your father is known to be a caring and fair man, I like to think that he'd be more than happy to help his child find her true love."

She then offered her a soft smile, and Aurora had tried to return it, but she just couldn't...there were just so many uncertainties in her future that frightened her.

"I still don't know what to think...I...I feel so lost." she said, looking down at the ground as she wrung her fingers nervously.

"I know, hun...but at least you have people out there you can turn to, like your three Aunts, people who love you so very much and would do _anything_ they can to help you." Toony told her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "So don't miss out on this opportunity."

"Why, if I had the chance to reunite with someone I care about, I'd take it in a heart beat."

"Someone who's dear to you?" Aurora asked.

" _Very_ dear." Toony said with a firm nod. "And no matter how scared or unsure I was, I wouldn't let it stop me from seeing them again."

Aurora lightly chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it, and Toony knew that she still might have had reservations because the boy she loved, but she also knew that deep down, Aurora really did want to meet her parents as well.

"You're right, I...I'll go back." Aurora said as she stood to her feet. "My Aunts must realize that I've gone by now...they'll be worried sick."

Toony smiled, feeling so proud of the Auroras bravery as she took the princesses hand in hers and squeezed it encouragingly. But before she could say anything more, the two of them gasped in surprise as a big flash of light sparked at Toony's right wrist, making them shield their eyes at first before the fox eared woman looked down at her bangle to see that the orange diamond was glowing brightly.

"Toony, you got a stone glowing." Cheo stated. " We have to go and tell Marie, she'll be so happy!"

"But wait, does this mean...you won't be staying with me?" Aurora asked, a sorrowful expression on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Aurora." Toony said, feeling terrible that she had to leave her now. "But this means I have to go."

Aurora turned her face to the ground, her dainty frame quivering slightly that made Toony feel even worse for having to leave and for not having a single clue what to say to make her feel better...some friend she was turning out to be.

"I know you're scared sweetheart," Toony started, putting her hands on the princesses shoulders. "But, oh... I really wish there was something I could do..."

"Toony, your present!" Hiromi whispered, tapping on her creators shoulder before pointing to the towel filled with goodies that was tied at her corset.

" Oh yeah, I totally forgot!" Toony exclaimed, making Aurora blink in surprise from the volume as she watched her fox eared friend take a white cloth that had pink and blue flowers tied at the neck from her side and presented it to her with a small smile. "I know it's not much, but this is for you."

"Toony made you cookies for your birthday!" Cheo told her with a cheery grin.

"Cookies?" Aurora questioned, hesitantly taking the bundle in her hands.

"With chocolate chips." Toony added, feeling a bit embarrassed that all she could give her was such a simple gift. " I know that they can't do anything to really help the situation, but, maybe every time you start feeling unsure you can have a little nibble, and remember what we talked about."

And when Aurora unwrapped the towel, Toony slapped a hand to her face to see that the cookies she made had indeed warped into a big, misshapen lump.

But Aurora didn't seemed to mind it as she just took a little bit from the mass of cookie and slowly placed it on her tongue; and after a few seconds, a small, but sincere smile appeared on her rosy lips and she hummed approvingly.

"This tastes delightful, it's so sweet..." she said before she looked up at Toony. "Just like you have been so sweet to me since we've met, I couldn't ask for more in a wonderful gift."

Suddenly, she then walked over and wrapped her arms around Toonys' neck, hugging her in a very tight grip.

"Thank you Toony, for everything." she told her. "I'll never forget you! "

"I won't forget you either, Aurora." Toony said as she returned the embrace with a smile. If she ever got home, she'll never view 'Sleeping Beauty' the same way again, it'll be even more special to her from now on until the rest of her days. " I'll always have you in my thoughts."

"Rose!" a voice called out from through the trees that was joined by to other worried voices. "Rose, where are you?!"

" _Rose!_ "

"I have to go, now." Aurora said as she took a few steps back, looking at Toony for a moment longer with an expression that said she really didn't want to go back on her own, but still, she kept a stiff upper lip like a trooper. "Goodbye Toony, and Cheo and Hiromi!"

"You all were such great friends!"

And with that, she turned away and hurried back in the direction of the cottage as the three of them stayed in place until she was completely gone from sight.

"Well, we better be on our way two, guys." Toony told her

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"Well, it's great that you got another stone to glow, keep it up like this and you'll be on your way home in no time at all." Marie praised as she finished up the last of her turkey sandwich. "But I am sorry the princess was a bit upset that you had to leave."

The moment Toony and her fluffballs returned to the Cosmic Phoenix, Marie already had dinner prepared, and as they ate, Toony told her everything that had happened with Aurora. She was still sad that she had to leave already...but it was somehow alright.

"I know, I do wish I could have stayed longer, it probably would have made Aurora feel better, but...I don't know, I just had a feeling that everything would turn out okay like it did in the movie." Toony said, who had already eaten and dressed in her night cloths, sitting on the couch as she finished brushing out her hair. " Besides, what could I have done against someone like Maleficent, any way? That lady has always scared me, I probably would have fainted if I ever had to see her in person; Nah, Philip and the good fairies will definitely come through and rescue her on their own."

"And it'll be even better for Aurora since she'll be going back to her family, too."

"That's a good way to think about it." Marie told her with a smile as she started tidy up her mess. "So what did you do for the princess to get a stone glowing?"

"I really don't know..." Toony said truthfully. " All I really did was listen to her when she was upset, and I gave her some advice, then _poof_ , it was shining."

"I seriously didn't really do anything help her, I don't think."

"Well that's not entirely true," Marie started, putting her dishes in the sink. " Sometimes the best kind of help you can provide is an listening ear, and speak from the heart on giving advice on how to deal with a situation if you've lived through a similar experience."

Toony was doubtful of that last part, she really didn't think any of her past experiences were similar to Aurora's situation of her betrothal. the only thing she did understand was that she was scared of an uncertain future away from the ones she loved.

But she didn't dwell on it any longer when Marie suddenly got her boots on and then started towards the door.

"You're not getting ready for bed?" Toony asked.

"Nope, I took a nap earlier and had a few cups of coffee, that should keep me going for a good long while." Marie told her. " I'll just use this time to get us on the way to the next world."

But before she started towards the door, she stopped as she watched Toony struggle a bit while she tried to do something with her hair.

"...What'cha doing there?" Marie asked.

"Trying to tie all this back." Toony answered. "I'm tired of waking up with Medusa locks, but it's a little hard to do a braid by myself."

But then she dropped her hands with an annoyed growl as she failed once again, making Marie let out a small laugh as she walked over to her.

"Here, let me help." the guide said as she had Toony sit on the floor while she sat down on the couch behind her. And after taking a moment to undo the mess her charge did to her hair, she took the brush Toony had used before and started combing out the new tangles.

They just sat there in silence for a good while, with Toony drumming her fingers on her crossed knees before she then had an idea that now would be a good time to just talk about something she had been thinking about.

She only hoped Marie would actually tell her this time.

"So...is your family very big?" She finally asked, making Marie let out a laugh at her persistence.

" Oh yes, I come from a rather large family." Marie told her as she finished brushing Toony's long hair and started to braid. "four sisters, two brothers, nieces and nephews, and cousins galore, they can be loud and sometimes a bit pushy, but they were always up for fun made you feel like you were loved and welcome in the family."

"Holy muffins, so your parents had seven children?" Toony asked in amazement. "All of my grandparents came from big families like that, too. And including extended family, _wow_ , you guys must have the best parties when you all get together."

"Oh yes." Marie said. "I'm glad that my husband fit in so well, he was always the master planner for a good time."

"You're married?" Toony asked in surprise; she didn't wear any rings, so she had no idea. But Marie just gave a humming nod.

"I married a good, hardworking man." the dark chestnut haired woman continued, smiling fondly before she let out a laugh. "And goodness is he funny, I could be madder than a hornet and he'd still manage to find a way to tickle me pink."

She then gave a snort as she leaned closer to Toony as though she were about to tell her a secret. "But what's amazing about that, I'll tell you what, he's the reason I'd get so mad in the first place!"

Toony smiled as she listened to closely to the story, it was so wonderful to hear Marie laugh and talk about her husband, it's was obvious that he meant so much to her.

"Do you guys have any children yet?" She asked. "I mean if you don't, that's fine, are you planning on having children a little later?"

"We do have children, a girl that's a lot like me and a boy that's taken a bit too much after his father for my liking." Marie said with a half grin as she began to tie Toonys' red braid in place. " But they're both wonderful, I wouldn't change anything about them for the world."

"That's so awesome, how old are they?" Toony said excitedly, eager to hear more about her children. "What're their names?"

"Sorry." she said, patting Toonys' shoulders before she stood up from the couch, officially done braided her hair. "Maybe I'll tell you next time."

"Is this gonna be a regular thing with us?" Toony asked, a little irritated that she left her with even more questions than before. "I ask you something and you tell me only a little bit before you just leave me hanging?"

"Are you ever gonna tell me a full story?"

"Well, you'll just have to wait and find out..." Marie told her as she walked over to the door of the cabin before she she shot Toony a humerus grin over her shoulder. "Next time."

"Goodnight, Toony."

But Toony just let out a sigh as her guide walked outside and closed the door behind her, shaking her head a bit as a short chuckle escaped her lips. She may have felt a little annoyed that Marie was being so enigmatic, but somehow...it was still fine. Everyone opens up to others in their own way on their own time.

Plus, it kept her a little excited to see what else she would find out about her later on.

"Night, Marie." she said softly before she, Cheo and Hiromi headed upstairs to the loft to turn in for the night, left to wonder what kind of adventure awaited them in the new world before they all finally fell asleep.

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 **I think it would be a good idea to point out now that even if I had a chance, I wouldn't try to intentionally change an instance in a movie. And it's not just because I don't have the best imagination for it, but because I've always felt like there was no need for change in my own opinion.**  
 **Everything that happens in a movie happened for a reason, and in the end it all worked out best for the right people.**


	14. Fearful Denial, Part 1

**Alrighty, getting two chapters up in two days isn't bad, at least we're starting a journey in a new world :D:D:D  
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 **I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!**

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 _Chapter 14: Fearful Denial, Part 1_

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It was the first time since the start of the trip that Toony had woken up on her own, feeling completely refreshed and ready for the day. Unfortunately, Cheo and Hiromi still beat her too it, but they were a bit too preoccupied with their breakfast of grapes and orange slices downstairs to get around to waking up their creator.

Marie wasn't inside, so that must have meant that she was still up on deck steering the Phoenix to their next destination. So after she had dressed out of her night cloths, she took her time making her own breakfast of eggs and toast; sharing some fruit with her fluffballs until she suddenly heard a knocking sound over her head that must have been Maire stomping her foot on the deck to signal that Toony should come on deck the second they finished eating.

"I'll see if she wants me to make her something a little later." Toony said to Cheo and Hiromi as the three of them started towards the door.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she was surprised to see that instead of going through the swirling pink and purple ties, they were sailing through an open sky that was dotted with stars.

"Are we already in the next world?" Toony asked, walking up the steps to stand beside her guide.

"J'yep, passed through a little bit ago." Marie affirmed.

" _Awww_ , but I like watching when we go through the star..." The fox tailed woman said, pouting a little bit that earned a short laugh from her guide.

"Alright, next time I'll be sure get you up here before then." Marie promised

"So how's it looking out here?" Toony asked, shrugging off her slight disappointment as she went to the side and peeked over the rail; The clouds were a bit thick and hid away most of the view down below, but as the Phoenix continued on and the clouds thinned out, she then began to make out what looked like a castle thanks to the light of the full moon that was out.

A big smile spread across her face as she began to wonder what world they could be in that had castles. Maybe Snow White or Tangled, even Brave or Cinderella! She kept her eyes locked on the castle as the view started to grow sharper, anticipation growing and growing...until she suddenly lost her smile and she took a step back in horror when she finally saw what castle it was...

"Toony?" Cheo asked as he was the first to notice her abrupt change in demeanor.

"This was the only water source I could find nearby, and I didn't want to waste pixie dust to find another." Marie started, unaware of her charges shift in expression. "I already cloaked the Phoenix on account of that castle, but it looks like it might be abandoned to me..."

But Toony barley registered what she had said, her heart beating fast as she stared at the huge, dilapidated fortress as it stood surround by water and jagged rock with only one narrow path that led out the front gate, adding to it's intimidating appearance; And although it's rough, unkempt state made it look like it may have been deserted, lite torches both on the outside and shining in through some of the narrow windows only proved that it was occupied by those Toony already knew were there...

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" Toony whispered, pacing a bit as she suddenly began to feel a bit nauseous as they got closer and closer.

"What? Do you recognize this place?" Marie asked, a little surprised at how different Toony sounded. Usually if she recognized a place, she would get so excited she could hardly stand still. But her surprise quickly turned into concern as Toony staggered past her and down the steps to the lower deck. "Hey, you don't look so good."

"I'll be fine, I-I just need to sit down for a minuet." Toony started, heavily plopping herself down on the bench and put her head in her hands. "We _have_ to be in Prydain."

"A land from 'The Black Cauldron'."

"Toony doesn't look like she feels very good..." Hiromi whispered to Cheo who just gave a nod before they flew over and perched on her shoulders in order to try and comfort her.

"Alright, this is a good start if you know where we are." Marie stated, looking a little pleased before she braced herself a bit. "Hang on now, we're about to hit the water!"

Toony held on to the rail, flinching badly when the Phoenix finally descended in the water, hoping that the crashing sound of the of the waves only sounded louder than it really was because of the excellent hearing her fox ears provided. But even when they finally came to a stop near the beginning of the path to the castle, she still wasn't able to calm her heart rate.

"Alrighty, nice and smooth." Marie said, proudly dusting her hands off as she stepped down to the bottom deck before she looked down at Toony. "So, any idea who you're supposed to find here?"

"Um...It uh...it was Aurora last time," She said, finally sitting back up and brushing back her bangs uneasily. "So if I'm supposed to be finding main characters, then it's Taran I'll need to help next."

"Oh good, very good." Marie said, happy that they were getting off to such a good start this time; Since Toony already knew where they were and who they were supposed to find, she was bound to get through this even faster than last time. "Then you should get ready to-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second, I never said I was going to _do_ it..." Toony interrupted, abruptly standing to her feet and taking a step back. "There's no way I'm stepping a foot off this boat!"

Marie blinked, not really able to say anything at first because she wasn't sure if she had actually herd what Toony had just said...

But before she could finally find her words, Toony then got up and went into the cabin before coming out with the sack of pixie dust in her hands.

"In fact, why don't we just get out of here and find a different world, sound good?" Toony suggested before she was stopped in her tracks by her guide.

"That's not how it works and you know it!" Marie told her firmly, taking the sack from her and putting down on the deck and going over to the door at the side of the boat. "You can't just _decide_ that you want to go to a different world, you have to do what's needed of you _here_ before we can leave."

"So come on, off you go."

"Nope!" Toony said, crossing her arms and planting her feet. " It's not happening."

"It _is_ , it _has_ to!" Marie told her as she pointed back out towards the outside of the door. "Now go!"

"Nu-uh!" The fox eared young woman said, turning her nose up in the air.

"Toony-" The guide started before she was interrupted.

"No! " Toony almost shouted. " No! No! _No!_ "

"Alright, that does it!" Marie said angrily, stomping up to her charge with the intent to drag her to the door. But once she started coming, Toony instantly grabbed onto the mast tightly and held on for dear life as Marie took hold of her tail and started pulling.

Even her own fluffballs were going against her as they started tugging on her sweater.

"Toony, we gotta go!" Cheo grunted as Toony wouldn't let up on the mast.

"No! I'm _not_ doing it!" Toony yelled, digging her nails into the wood as far as they would go. "You can't make me!"

"Sakes alive, why?!" Marie demanded, letting Toony go and throwing her hands up in a huff. "It's just an old castle, and if this Taran is really in there, then you have to go in and find him!"

"Give me one good why you shouldn't!"

" I can give you three!" Toony stated hotly, " _The. Horned. King!_ "

"Well, first of all, that's still just _one_ reason," Marie stated. "And second, if it's just one guy, then what's all the fuss about?!"

"...Okay, since it's obvious that you haven't watched this particular movie, I'll refrain from hitting you." Toony stated dryly. "That 'one guy' was enough to give me nightmares for a month straight when I first watched it! Even to this day I still have trouble looking at him on the screen and you want me to waltz right into his strong hold?! _No thank you!_ "

"Oh he can't be _that_ bad..." Marie started with a roll of her eyes.

" Can't be that ba- wait right here!" Toony said as she went to the cabin door and threw it open before ran up the steps to her loft and over to her desk where she pulled open the deep, bottom left drawer; And just as she hoped, there was the tall stack papers with pictures she had printed out to use for reference when she was a freshman in high school and getting back into drawing.

As she pulled them out, she was met with images of characters from 'Yu-Gi-Oh' to 'Batman', 'Spiderman', 'Transformers' and 'Sonic the Hedgehog'; As well as tons of pages of hands, feet and eyes since those were always the most difficult for her to do until she finally reached the pages near the bottom of the pile were she kept most of the Disney pictures she had collected.

" 'Little Mermaid', 'Darkwing Duck', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Gargoyles'..." she murmured flipping through them. " _Geeze_ , how did I accumulate so much freaking- _Aha!_ Here they are!"

It was probably the smallest stack she had, where the majority of them consisted of Gurgi since he was her favorite character, but she soon found a picture of the figure that still managed to haunt her dreams even now in adulthood.

With picture in hand, Toony hurried back down the steps and outside the cabin where she then thrust the paper close to Maries' face, who took it from her and visibly grimaced at the sight that met her eyes.

"Lord have _mercy!_ " the dark haired woman exclaimed. " He could scare a buzzard right off a gut pile!"

" _Yeah!_ " Toony said. " See why I don't want to go in there?! And the dude is as cruel and cold hearted as he is freaky!"

"Alright, granted he's, ahem, a sight to behold..." Marie started slowly. "But the fact still remains, you have to find Taran and get another diamond glowing before we can leave."

Toony wanted to argue more, but deep down, she knew that Marie was right. She couldn't pick and choose which worlds she visited, but that didn't mean she had to like this situation.

"Fine..." Toony said in exasperation before a small smirk appeared on her face. " But _you're_ coming with me!"

" _Excuse_ me?!"

"You said, and I quote... _'Only if you really need my help, then I promise I'll go with you.'_ and I _do_ need your help!" Toony said after imitating her companion as best as she could. " You _promised_ Marie!"

Marie's mouth opened and closed, like she wanted to say something against it, but she couldn't because she _did_ promise that she would help if Toony needed her to; And after a while, Marie only let out a defeated growl as she walked towards the cabin door to gather some things to take with them.

" _Oooh!_ You're _lucky_ I value a promise!"

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It was amazing how fast this adventure went from easy and relaxing to down right scary and nerve wracking; And as the two woman waded through the cold water of the mote to find the area that Taran had gone up to get inside the castle in the movie, Toony couldn't help but dart her eyes left and right and jumping at every sound that reached her ears.

"For goodness sake, _relax!_ " Marie whispered when Toony was actually starting to twitch from stress. " You're gonna give yourself a stroke."

"Well sorry if I ain't exactly 'giddy' that we're here!" Toony grumbled. "As much as I like this movie, it was high on my list of places I'd rather not visit!"

"And if the master of this castle, or any of his goons finds us, you can bet we'll be thrown in the dungeons if we're not killed on sight first!"

"Okay, time out for a minuet..." Marie said, stopping and putting her hands on Toony's shoulders before she looked her squarely in the eyes. "You need to get your mind off this."

"How?"

"I don't know, either talk about yourself or talk about how nice the nature life is." Her guide suggested before she curtly turned back and started walking. "Just _pick_ something."

At that, Toony gave a rueful snort, _what_ nature life? Almost everything near this castle was either dried up or dead; but...Marie did have a good point, she really wasn't doing herself any favors stressing herself out like this.

"How come _your_ cloths didn't change like mine?" she finally asked, allowing her annoyance at having her sweater and jeans yet again be traded in for a white top with puff sleeves that were ruffled at the ends with a brown ankle length skirt and a black corset that had gray lace along the top of the bust line to slightly ease her rattling nerves.

"Because I'm not the one wearing the bangle, so you're the only one who would be affected by its magic; And also for those who share a special connection to you like Cheo and Romi, but only in certain circumstances." Marie answered. " As for me, I chose an outfit that would be efficient, comfortable, and not too modern so I could explore different worlds safely without drawing too much attention to myself if I had too."

"Well why couldn't I do that?" Toony asked. "Not that I mind wearing dresses or anything, but just having my cloths up and change on me every time I leave the boat is _very_ uncomfortable..."

"Don't you have extra cloths like yours? We look close to the same size."

"It really wouldn't matter, as long as you continue to wear the bangle, it'll always change your cloths to better match the world we're in." Marie told her.

"Then I may just have to take it off sometimes..." Toony said, mostly to herself. "At least then I can wear my jeans in case I ever-"

But she stopped short when Marie suddenly whirled around and and looked Toony in the eyes with a rather serious light.

" _Never_ take it off!" the guide told her, her tone sharp. "Toony, I can't stress enough how _important_ it is that you keep that bracelet on at all times when you are outside the cabin of the phoenix!"

"Promise me, right here and now, you'll never take it off for such a silly reason as clothing or anything else!"

" _Alright_ , okay, I promise I won't take it off!" Toony assured, slightly taken aback at how insistent Marie had been about it. But she figured it was because the bracelet was her only means of getting home once the quest was over, and it would be really stupid to have it lost or stolen because of cloths of all things...

But thankfully, the conversation was ended when Toony finally spotted what they had been looking for.

"Okay, I think that's is the spot that Taran scaled up in the movie." Toony said, pointing to an area that had a gap in the large throne bushes that grew around the base and frowning deeply at the fact she would have to climb this rickety old castle...

Nodding, Marie led the way, taking care not to make too much noise when the water suddenly got deeper until it was p to their waists.

" _Ugh!_ Why can't this thing ever give me boots?" Toony asked, grimacing as her feet sank into the mud and felt slimy water weeds lick around her ankles and calf's for the hundredth time since they started walking in the mote. " Why does it always have to be slippers?! "

"Don't ask me." Marie said as she looked up the side and let out a whistle at how high it was. "So should I go up first, or..."

"I can go, I'm pretty good at climbing and I think I remember where the hole that Taran used to get in is." Toony offered, eager to get out of the water already. "Just be careful, this fortress is old, and some of the stone is super brittle."

Since Cheo and Hiromi had wings, they hovered above Toony and helped her out by testing the stones they would be able to grab onto and they were making pretty good progress. Marie tried her best to follow where Toony would go, but when she lifted a foot to another edge that she didn't realize had not been tested, she gave a gasp when the brick suddenly crumbled and broke away under the weight she put on it, very nearly taking a fall into the mote if she hadn't manged to grab onto something and regained her balance.

...Which, unfortunately, had been Toony's tail as it happened to wave within her reach at that exact moment.

The fox eared young woman had been in the middle of reaching for another protruding brick when she suddenly felt something grab and pull on her tail. And at the unexpected extra weight, she lost her grip and fell straight down into the cold, murky water with a loud cry that was cut off by and even louder splash.

Marie had managed to stay in place as she looked down at the ripples where her charge had disappeared with wide, hazel eyes before she shared a grimacing, regretful look with Cheo and Hiromi.

" _Oops_..."

Seconds later, Toony finally resurfaced, covered in water weeds and mud and making such a racket as she coughed and spat out foul tasting mote water before she sent a heated glare up at her guide.

"What the _flip_ Marie?!" She demanded with a yell. " That hurt!"

"I'm-I'm sorry!" Marie began, trying to keep her voice quiet as she started to climb down, her eyes going back and forth as she hoped no one had hear that. "It was reflex!"

Cheo and Hiromi tried to help her calm down too, but Toony just wasn't paying any attention to them as she seemed to have completely forgotten where she was and continued to rage over her situation, pulling at the weeds and wiping the mud off of her.

"Yuck! _Ew!_ I got slimy _ick_ all over me!" she griped in disgust. "It's in my hair, it's in my ears! Pft! _Pffft!_ Ack! it's in my _mouth!_ "

At that moment, Marie hopped down into the mote and quickly wadded over to her with an urgent expression on her face.

"Toony, keep your voice _down!_ " She hissed. " Making all that racket, you're going to...to..."

Toony wanted to yell at her again, but when Marie just suddenly trailed off and was looking at something over her head behind her, she cocked her head to the side in confusion before when the sound of gravel under something large and heavy reached her water logged ears; And she turned towards the bank and a cold spot stabbed in the pit of her stomach to see a band of the Horned Kings' huge, hulking soldiers, laughing and grinning like someone had just given them a pot of gold.

Or _stolen_ it, more appropriately.

"Well, well, _well_ , wot 'ave we got 'ere?" the largest ruffian began as he lightly taped a big club on his palm. " Looks like we got us a couple 'o spys, lads."

Marie quickly took Toony by the arm, pulling her up and running towards the bank on the other on the far side of the mote to get away, but just before they reached the shore, they immediately came to a stop when more large, rough looking men came out of no where armed with arrows.

Pretty soon, they were surrounded by soldiers.

"The Horned King don't like trespassers, but maybe he wouldn't mind seeing two pretty little things like yerselves..." the brutish leader of the gang spoke again, earning sinister chuckles from his comrades.

"Maybe he can even get somthin' outta the red head," Another stated. "Them ears and tail she has ain't natural, and those creatures, she has ta have magic in 're!"

"Toony, I'm _scared_..." Hiromi said in a hushed, fearful voice; She and Cheo were both huddled at her shoulders and trembling as they hid underneath her long red hair.

" It...it'll be okay, guys, don't worry..." she whispered, trying to keep it together for them; But she felt just as terrified as they were and couldn't help herself as she hugged Maries' right arm tightly as the brutes started closing in on them.

"Somehow, it'll be okay..."

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The only thing that was 'okay' about being caught was the fact that the soldiers hadn't killed any of them...yet, but that little bit of good news paled in comparison as Toony and Marie were forcefully 'escorted' into the castle by dozens of crude, smelly Neanderthals.

Cheo and Hiromi were put in a rusted cage that was almost to small for them, and while Toony wasn't exactly treated like a princess, poor Marie seemed to be getting more unwanted attention from her own captor as well as the other animal men who would eye her with seedy looks and send out a series of wolf whistles and cat calls.

It wasn't long before they came to a stop did Toony wrench away from him when he suddenly released her arms. But immediately after, he painfully grabbed hold of her tail and started dragging her along further in.

"OW! Hey! _Hey!_ " Toony snapped, barley managing to regain her footing before she grabbed her tail and yanked it away from his grasp. "Hands off the tail!"

"Just because you're a brute doesn't mean you're allowed to man handle a lady!"

But as she began to smooth out the fur, she suddenly noticed that all of the soldiers had taken a step back from her; And she soon found out why as she looked behind her, her eyes taking in the sight of a set of stairs that led up to a throne that rested in the shadows; And through the dim lighting, she could still make out the figure that used to regularly haunt her nightmares as a child, a black fur cape draped about his shoulders and dress in a long, blood red robe, those trade mark horns protruding from the hood that just barley managed to hide his terrifying, skull like features...

The Horned King himself.

"And to what do I owe this... _pleasure_ , of such lovely company?" the terrifying man finally asked, almost with a sarcastic and dismissing air; But as he took a closer look at Toony, he suddenly began to grow a bit more interested.

"Out of my way wench!" a voice ordered as something small raced passed her left leg, making Toony let out a cry as her skirt was nearly flipped up before she saw that it was the Creeper as he ran up the steps to the throne.

" Please don't be too angry, your majesty, this wasn't my fault!" Creeper groveled at his masters feet. "I know you abhor unexpected guests, but the men felt that you could find these women useful to your cause!"

"Just look at _that_ one sire, she or the strange creatures she has _must_ be able to offer assistance to you!"

Toony had never felt the need to run and hide behind something more than when Creeper had pointed right at her. And she did try at first, but one of the soldiers just took her arm and threw her back to towards the throne and she fought against letting out a pitiful whimper as he slowly stood to his feet and made his way down the steps.

"Well...she certainly _appears_ to be able." he stated as he finally stood a mere few inches before her.

He was considerably taller than she was, and as she looked up into his face, taking in how tight his skin stretched over his noseless face and his hi fanged teeth along his mouth where lips should have been, she was vaguely aware that she was quivering; And when he suddenly lifted a hand with long, claw like finger nails towards her, she couldn't let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding in an audible whimper and lent away from it at first. But it was rather pointless as his fingers took hold of on of her ears, and although he was gentle enough, it still made her shudder at how deathly cold his touch felt even under the fur.

"Very peculiar..." He commented, his graveled voice making her shudder. "Even in this land of magic, never before have I heard of a woman quite like you."

"W-well I should hope you haven't." Toony started, her voice sounding tiny and meek a she chose her words carefully. She felt a small sense of relief as he finally released her ear, but it was quickly squashed when he started to circle around her; And although his eyes were so sunk in that she couldn't see them in the darkness, she could still feel his piercing gaze upon her as though someone were dragging the tip of a knife along her skin. " I've had..had t-to do a good deal of hiding because of these."

"Yes, I suppose one such as you would inspire questions to be raised among mortals, perhaps even fear." she winced when he felt her take hold of her tail, inspecting it closely before he slowly dragged his hand along to the stark white end and released. "Tell me, child, are you an enchanted being of sorts?"

"I...I'm sorry?" Toony asked, a bit confused by his question as he kept walking about.

"There is an item of great power I seek, I'm sure you know of the tales..." the Horned King spared a look to Marie for a few seconds as she glared up at him, but ultimately he passed her over, obviously uninterested in his prisoners dark haired companion. "A king so evil, that even _gods_ feared his might."

"The Black Cauldron." Toony said, she really wished she knew where in this story she was, but she decided to take a gamble and hope that they hadn't captured a certain future telling pig before already...

"But...that's all just a scary bedtime story." the fox eared woman began slowly. "What's someone a-as powerful as the Horned King doing wasting his time chasing a fairy tale?"

"It does exist, that much was made clear to me due to the most 'generous' aid of a previous informant before it... _lost it's way._ " the skeletal man stated as he sent a glare in the direction of the Creeper who only chuckled nervously and hid himself from sight behind a soldiers leg. "Since, I am in need of another to assist me on my quest."

"So, is it _you_ that is endowed with magical properties or is it your... _pets_...whom possess the power I require to locate that which I desire?"

Cheo and Hiromi cowered together as far back in the cage as they could, whimpering in fear as he ran his hand along the thin wires and his pointed nails clinked against the cold iron.

Well _nuggets_ , there went the hope that he hadn't managed to capture Hen Wen yet; And of course she already knew where he could find it, but she had to do her best not to let him know that...

"N..neither, sir." She felt a huge lump in her throat when he turned back to face her with a sharp jerk of his head, and the air seemed thicken with sense of wrath as she struggled to keep speaking. "I-I'm just a simple mortal woman who somehow managed to anger a particularly spiteful witch...and those two were, uh...were just my pet mice that got caught in the crossfire."

She couldn't even look at him as the Horned King then slowly stepped up to her and she tensed, wondering what he was up to, but blinked in surprise when he only took a lock of her damp hair in his fingers, moving it from her face and behind her right shoulder, almost as if he were a father that was giving a child tender attention as he just silently stood there looking down at her with those gaunt eyes.

But it only proved to be the calm before the storm as his hand lurched forward in the blink of and eye and wrapped itself around Toony's neck in a vice like grip.

" _Toony!_ " Cheo and Hiromi cried out, rattling against the bars of their small cage and watching powerlessly as Toony's light green eyes widened before she latched onto his wrist and struggled to pull his hand off of her; But it only proved to be a less than futile endeavor.

"You are a terrible liar, my dear." he said, as his grip tightened on her throat before he lifted her high off her feet with a strength that seemed impossible for his thin frame to posses. " And I truly _dislike_ being lied to..."

"Let her go!" Marie yelled as she made a move to rush him, but the Horned Kings' men held her firmly, laughing at her attempt either because they were having fun taunting her for throwing orders in her position or because the very thought of a woman fighting their king was outrageously funny.

"You'll _kill_ her! _Stop it!_ "

All the while, Toony was fighting to get air into her lungs, but after a few moments of dangling from the horned kings' grip, her mind soon began to grow fuzzy and her vision started to blot with the lack of oxygen until she was just about to pass out as the one suffocating her watched carefully.

"Hmm..." he hummed in thought before he finally released her, making Toony fall into a heap on the ground before she started hacking and coughing and trying her hardest to take in ragged breaths of sweet, sweet air.

"Toony, are you okay?!" Marie called, struggling against her captor once again. "Answer me!"

But before she could try and wheeze out a word, or even offer a feeble 'thumbs up', she flinched as strong, gnarly fingers clasped around her jaw and forced her to slowly look up to his grotesque, skull like face.

"You are either very brave, or very stubborn, but make no mistake... I _will_ get the truth from you." the Horned King. "Once my prior engagement is taken care of, we will be seeing each other again; I do hope you will be more cooperative, otherwise, it will be necessary for me to use a more... _forceful_ means of interrogation."

His sunken eyes then gleamed with a burning red glow, emphasizing his sinister threat and making unable to look away from him.

"Until then, I am sure our young prisoner would appreciate a bit of company while he still lives to enjoy it." he said before he finally let her chin drop and she was roughly grabbed about her arms and hauled to her feet as the dark sorcerer king turned and started back towards his throne.

"Take them away."

No sooner did the king say that, the Creeper was barking his orders to take the two women and the fluffballs down to the dungeons and they were forced down the corridor and through the halls to the bowls of the castle until they reached a barred door at the very end of the vault-like prison.

And after it was opened, Toony was pushed into the cell by her escort, just barley managing to catch Cheo and Hiromi's cage before it hit the stone ground after he tossed it in; But as he left, Maire's escort still held her by the arm as he had something more to say...

" Come on now, love, how 'bout a kiss?" the brute asked with a sleazy grin. " I'll make it worth yer while, How does a bite 'o grub sound? Pretty good in return fer one li'l smooch, don't it?"

He then puckered his lips and made gross kissing sounds at her before Marie yanked her arms out of his grasp and glared daggers at him.

"I'd rather _starve_ , you pig!" She snapped angrily.

" _Aww_ , such a shame ta see somethin' so pretty be such a prude." He said, laughing as he wasn't all that fazed by her put down. "But, maybe you'll change yer mind soon enough, I'll be seein' ya my lovely."

And with that, the man left the room and closed the heavy door behind him. Only when they heard the loud clanked of it being locked and the sound of his footsteps getting further away did Maire hurry to Toony's side to look her over.

"Are you alright?" the guide asked as she moved away Toonys' hair to inspect her neck, there was a dark bruise beginning to form; there were even small, bleeding puncture wounds from where the Horned Kings' nails had dug into her skin.

But Toony pushed her hands away and offered a half hearted smile.

"Marie relax, it was just a little asphyxiation, nothing I couldn't handle." Toony told her waving it off.

An outright lie on her part because even as she said that, her throat still felt a little hoarse as she spoke and her hands trembled, making it a little difficult to use them when she started working at the cord that was tide at the door on Cheo and Hiromis' cage.

"Don't you dare!" Marie said, seeing through her fib and feeling a bit angry that she would even _try_ to play it off as though it were a joke. "You very nearly _died_ back there!"

The fox tailed woman opened her mouth to tell her guide to calm down again, but at Maries' concerned, and surprisingly almost tearful expression, she decided against it.

"I know, you're right, I'm sorry..." Toony said, finally getting the little door open and letting her terrified fluffballs fly into her arms and holding them close. " But really, I'm okay... it only hurts a little bit."

"Who's that?" Came a voice from inside the dungeon, making the two women turn to see a young boy with brown hair and dressed in a green tunic looking at them with fearful brown eyes.

Toony recognized him immediately as Taran, the young assistant pig keeper who was thrown into the dungeon after he helped Hen Wen escape to safety; So hopefully, this meant that Princess Eilonwy wasn't too far behind to arrive.

"Relax, hun, we're no friends of the Horned King if that's what you're afraid of." Toony said as she gingerly rubbed her tender neck. "Not in the _least!_ "

"I-I wasn't afraid!" Taran said, puffing his chest out to make it seem like he was bigger and stronger than he really was before he almost immediately relaxed and walked over to be closer to them. "But, it _is_ good to see friendlier faces rather than the Horned Kings' soldiers..."

" My name is Taran, how did you get captured?"

"We were just passing through the area when those rocks for brains picked us up." Marie answered, wiping the mist from her eyes as this was the boy they had been searching for. "What about you, Taran?"

But before he could answer, the three of them jump when they suddenly heard the sound of stone scraping a ways behind them, and looking around, Toony inwardly sighed with relief to see part of the floor moving up before a familiar figure who had long blonde hair popped out into view with a floating ball of light following in suit.

Princess Eilonwy had finally arrived.

"Hmm, I thought I heard a noise in here..." She told the glowing bauble before she glanced around, her blue eyes lighting up when she saw the two women, the young boy and two small, furry creatures staring at her.

"Ah, was that you?" she asked as her bauble zoomed through the air and gave them some light, whirling around Toony and Marie before it went up to Taran.

"Yes, I..." Taran started, ducking his head as the orb zoomed around him before it finally came to a stop. "I mean, we.."

"You're being held a prisoner, aren't you?" Eilonwy continued, as she helped herself up from the hole in the floor.

"Yes!" Taran said as he looked down at the bauble with wary curiosity.

"I'm being held against my will too." the princess told him as he hesitantly touch it with a finger and jumped back as it startled him a little when it suddenly light up brightly.

"It lights up!" he exclaimed, obviously not having seen anything like it before.

"Why of course, it's magic." Eilonwy giggled before she let out a grumbling sigh and started dusting off her rose pink skirt. "Oh I hate this place, I do hope there aren't any rats in here..."

"Not that I really mind them, you know, but they do jump out at one so."

"Forgive me for interrupting this thoroughly interesting conversation about rats..." Marie finally started after a while of just listening to the surprisingly casual banter between the two young ones, considering that they were still locked up in a dungeon. "But who exactly _are_ you?"

The young girl moved her gave over to Toony and Marie before she gave them a big, sweet smile, most likely happy to see that there were other girls here besides herself.

"Oh yes, do forgive my rudeness, I'm princess Eilonwy." She said with a small curtsy before she looked back to Taran with hopeful expectancy. "And you, could you be a lord? Or a warrior?"

"Uh, no..." Taran began, hesitating to tell the truth to someone as important as a princess. " I...I'm an assistant pig keeper."

"Oh what a pity...I was so hoping for someone who could help me escape." Eilonwy said with slight disappointment, but it didn't really seem to bother her all that much as she had already come this far in finding a way out on her own.

"Well, we might not be warriors, but we could still help each other." Toony said. "I'm Toony, and this is Marie and Taran, I'm sure we could find a way out of here if we all worked together."

"Why yes, that's very true!" Eilonwy said with a smile as she stooped back down to the hole. "If you want to come with me, you may."

"Can we?" Taran asked, grinning at the thought escaping from this terrible castle.

"Why yes, I _said_ you could." the princess assured with a half smile as though she found his question a bit silly before they all followed after her through the floor.

"Oh that wicked, _wicked_ king! You know he stole me!" Eilonwy said, a distasteful frown on her face as she told them how she came to be a prisoner here. "He thought my bauble could tell him where some old cauldron was."

"Ha, yeah, he _is_ pretty obsessed with finding that thing." Toony said, taking care not to slip as she and her fluffballs made it down first beside the princess. "He thought I was magical and that somehow I, or Cheo and Hiromi here, could help him find something he wanted; But needless to say, he was a little disappointed that he was only dealing with a cursed woman and her friends who weren't able to tell him what he wanted."

"That's what he wanted my pig for!" Taran stated, helping Marie down before he quickly jumped in himself.

"Oh yes, your _pig_." Eilonwy said with a laugh, obviously thinking that the horned king troubling himself to steal a simple pig was a little bit of a joke. And it would have had Hen Wen not been so special.

"But my pig can tell the future!" Taran explained, peeking the young princesses interest a she looked looked back at him with a smile.

" _Oooh_ , how interesting." She said, giggling a bit more before she started on down the dilapidated hall. "Well, you all better stay close, or you'll get lost."

She didn't need to tell them twice as they let Eilonwy lead the way down down the dark path with her magical bauble being their only source of light while they all held on to the hope that they could make it out of here as soon as possible without running into any more danger...

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 **And there we go, *shudders* really didn't look forward to trying to keep the Horned King in character on account that he seriously does terrify me even to this day, but I hope I did an okay job regardless XP**

 **A little heads up now, I'm not exactly sure when the next chapters will be done, but I will try my best not to make it too long a wait. No promises though. and if your interested to see what kind of dresses I'll be wearing or what worlds you can be looking forward to, you can always go to my DA account under the same name as my FF :) just type in 'THP outfits' in my gallery.  
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 **Thanks so much! :D:D**


	15. Fearful Denial, Part 2

**Alrighty, got another chapter up in this story!  
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 **I hope you guys didn't have too long to wait :D:D:D**

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 _Chapter 15: Fearful Denial, Part 2 **  
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They weren't sure how long they all had been walking for in that almost pitch black hall way, but Toony was thankful that Eilonwy was a curious talker, asking Toony questions about themselves which Toony answered to the best of her ability, taking great care not to give away the whole truth; And thankfully, the princess seemed to accept that Marie and Cheo were simply out on a journey through Prydain and they were picked up because they thought they could find shelter in what they thought was an abandoned castle.

"So your companion, Marie," Eilonwy began as she looked behind herself and Toony to look at the darker haired young woman. "Does she always seem so, er... _serious?_ "

"Nah, she's just grumpy right now." Toony told her, laughing at Eilonwys' attempt at a gentle statement about the sour expression Marie had on her face. " But who can blame her considering, right? She's really not so bad once you get to know her."

Eilowy gave a nod at Toony's assurance.

"And, you had mentioned before that a witch cursed the three of you to look like this, which is why you're traveling in the first place..." Eilonwy stated after she had taken to playing with Cheo and Hiormi as they hovered around the princess and made her giggle with delight as they tickled her cheeks and nose with their long tuft tails. " Goodness that must have been _dreadful_ , whatever did you do to anger her so?"

"Um...it's a long and embarrassing story, totally stupid on my part, so I won't go into it..." Toony said with a nervous laugh. "Sure these things have taken some getting used to, but, they've actually grown on me."

"They do look rather sweet." Eilonwy started as her eyes looked over Toonys' twitching hears and swaying bushy tail. " Are they truly real?"

"Go ahead, see for yourself." Toony said as she stooped her head down a bit so the princess could reach her ears. "Just no tugging, okay? They _are_ attached."

"Do we really have to do this now?" Marie asked, but without any hesitation, Eilonwy eagerly reached up and rubbed her fingers over them before giggling with delight.

"Oh my, they're so soft!" the young princess commented.

Toony smiled at her statement, but before she could say something else, her light green eyes widened in shock as a surprised yelp escaped her lips and she jumped about a foot in the air when her tail was suddenly grabbed from behind. But then she laughed as she saw Taran, standing there with a hand outstretched and an embarrassed blush on his face; He had been quiet for some time, just hanging back with Marie and keeping a watch for any sign of enemies with her. When they first met, he had been too proud to ask her her about them, but he was still a young boy and curious to see if her tail and ears were real as well.

"A little warning next time, okay bud?" Toony said to him as she ruffled his hair. "Considering where we are, we don't want to draw attention from any of the Horned Kings' goons."

Taran frowned at first, seeing Toony's action as though she thought him to be a child, but he shrugged it off and gave her a slight nod before Eilowny's magic bauble suddenly zoomed past them, harassing a mischief of rats that were a little ways ahead of them until it chased them through a small hole that was in a crumbling wall right in their path.

"Your bauble!" Taran exclaimed as he led the way towards it and peeked in the small opening

"Oh it's always chasing those rats." Eilonwy said with a short laugh as she, Marie, Toony and her fluffballs followed in suit to look in along with him until a small room decorated with many decaying, royal tapestries met their eyes.

Toony already knew what this was, and as her eyes spotted that pedestal at the center of the room with the still form of the former master of the castle laying atop it, she couldn't help but feel her heart sink as she was reminded of events she would rather not think about when they were still in danger...

"A burial chamber!" Eilonwy stated in awe. "This could be the tomb of the great king that built this castle, _before_ the horned king took it over..."

Without realizing, Eilowny had accidentally put too much weight on Tarans back and the brittle wall could no longer support them. And remembering what was bout to happen, Toony had managed to get Marie, Cheo and Hiromi to step back just as Taran soon fell through completely; Kicking up dust and causing everyone to go into a coughing fit.

"Are you all right?" Eilonwy asked once the dust cleared as she looked down at Taran who was on his stomach and shielding his head from anymore falling stone before he let out a puff of air and glared up at the princess who had managed to use the momentum of his fall to keep herself upright.

"Well come on then, help us look around." Eilonwy said as she and Marie started forward with Toony hanging back to help the young boy to his feet.

"You okay?" Toony asked with a smile.

"I'll be fine." Taran assured before as he then gazed to the podium where the body of the old king lay at rest.

Toony knew that as he was raised in a simple life, Taran had never before been in the presence of a _real_ king, living or otherwise. And as he approached his final resting place, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

"He must have been a _great_ warrior..." Toony heard him say softly, mostly to himself before he then realized what the fallen hero was holding in his his hands...

"Toony!" Came Marie's voice, making Toony look over to see her looking it from the door. "What's the hold up?"

"We're coming!" Toony said, turning back to see Taran hurrying over to her...the sword already in his grasp.

Taran looked at her, the sword in his hands as he waited for her to react to what he had done. But instead of telling him to put it back like he thought she would, Toony just waved it off and pulled him along by the arm until the had caught up with Marie, Eilonwy and her fluffballs; Seeing that they were huddled behind a broken wall and watching something that was in the next room.

When Toony and Taran looked out, they saw that the Creeper was there leading around a huge brute of a man who was pulling around a large, tarp covered cart behind him.

" _This_ will please him! Hehe!" the little green goblin cackled to himself as he pried and pushed open the heavy wooden doors that led into a dark room. "It's a good lot this time!"

"Toony, what's in there?" Cheo whispered, pointing at the cart curiously, but Toony quickly shushed him as they watched the Creeper shouted more orders at the struggling soldier.

"Don't stop you weakling!" he barked when a wheel was caught behind an upturned stone. " Put some muscle into it!"

With a sharp pull the cart was finally pulled free, and Hiromi, who was perched on Marie's shoulder, let out a startled gasp when she saw a gauntlet covered hand fall out from under the tarp after the jarring force and lifelessly clanked upon the floor; Marie immediately cupped a hand around the little fluffball and they all held in a breath as they tensely looked over to see if they had heard her...but thankfully, the two just continued on until they finally got the cart inside and closed the door behind them.

"Let's get out of here before they come back!" Eilonwy told them as they all filed out into the hall and ran past the door to that ominous room and didn't stop until they had to stop and catch their breaths.

At that point, Eilowny suddenly noticed something in Taran's hands that he didn't have before.

"Where did you get that sword?" the princess asked with a look of surprise that was equal to Maries'.

"Uh, back there." Taran said as he pointed back down the way they had come.

"You mean...you..." Eilonwy began, but unable to say it.

"Well, _he's_ not going to use it." Taran said in his defense.

Eilonwy sat back as she gave the boy a disbelieving look that he would actually disregard all respect and _take_ something from a fallen warrior, but if she had anything to say about it, she never got the chance to voice it as the horrible snarling of a dog from a room that was at the top of a set of stairs caught their attention.

"You're making a horrendous mistake!" a voice pleaded over the barks and growls. "I'm not a spy, I'm a _Bard!_ "

Taran and Eilonwy shared a glance with each other before the two of them hurried up the steps to see what was going on with Cheo and Hiromi following after them. And once they were out of ear shot, Marie shot Toony a disapproving expression as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"I understand that we're in a bit of a pickle here, but even I find taking something from a dead man in poor taste..." the dark haired woman stated.

"I know Marie, but we're not in a place where we can to worry about things like this." Toony explained. "I think Taran was right in taking it because having that sword means extra assurance that we might make it out of here."

They quieted down when they heard someone coming back down the stone steps, and looked up to see Taran as he waved at them to follow.

"Come on you two, the guard has gone." he whispered. " But there's an old man that needs some help!"

"Well I'm only waiting for an invitation!" A voice said as Toony got close enough to the door to hear, a voice that she recognized Fflewddur Fflamms' before it was followed by the sound of a loud _'ping!'_ from some type wire snapping and looked in through the barred window to see him tied at the wall. "Oh _shush!_ Why do you have to judge everything I say?!"

As they slowly opened the door, the lanky, white haired man was a bit preoccupied with arguing with a harp around his neck to notice their presence, a _magic_ harp that already had three snapped strings due to it's master telling some fibs; But then he gasped when he suddenly noticed that there was a skeleton tied in the same manner as he across the room, and judging by the feathered hat, bright decaying cloths and a old lute with snapped strings about his shoulders, it was a fellow minstrel like him.

... _H_ _ad_ been a fellow minstrel like him.

Seeing his future doom before his eyes, he then proceeded to expel a long, drawn out cry of 'help' that got louder and more piercing that Toony actually had to cover her ears before Eilonwy managed to stop it by saying 'hello' to him while Taran started working at the ropes around his wrists.

" _Geeze_ , I think I just lost a bit of my hearing." Toony commented as she, Cheo and Hiromi massaged at their ears to ease the slight numbness they felt; But she still smiled a little because even though Fflewddur wasn't her most favorite character, he always made her laugh with how goofy and awkward he was, especially when he was scared.

"He's got quite the set of pipes for an older gentleman." Marie agreed, and even though her hearing wasn't as sensitive, she could still hear ringing.

But just as Taran had gotten one of Flewddurs' wrists free, they suddenly heard a commotion of rapid footfalls and angry voices from behind the prison door.

"Pig boy's escaped!" a gruff yell barked out. " Look in there!"

"We've been discovered!" Taran exclaimed.

" _You?_ Oh-ho, great Belin, run! _Run!_ " Flewddur cried as the six of them wasted no time rushing out of the cell. "Make haste!"

He then paused a moment as he realized that he still had to get himself untied and out of here as well.

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So far, they had not run into any trouble after they ran out of Fflewddurs' cell, which was very much appreciated as Marie and Eilonwy led the way with Cheo and Hiromi close behind them. Toony and Taran were closer together and keeping up the rear, but just as they started to pass that little stone bridge, Toony had to stop in her tracks when Taran suddenly tripped and dropped the sword over the edge and down in the small trench.

"Taran, come _on!_ " Toony said urgently, trying to help him up as she scolded herself for not thinking to try and catch him first. But he didn't take her hand as he looked down at the weapon where it lay there in the dirt.

"But my sword!" he started before they suddenly heard the rapid footfalls of the Horned Kings' thugs running in their direction. So sharing a look, they quickly scrambled underneath the bridge; Taran grabbing his weapon and Toony putting her hands on his shoulders before they huddled close together as the heavy footsteps raced over them.

Only when they finally faded into the distance did they then dare to let out they breaths they had both been holding.

"Come on, we have to catch up with the others!" Toony said as they crawled out from under the bridge and hurried off to find their friends. Though it seemed almost impossible as they had no idea where they could have run off too after they got separated.

"Princess?" Taran called out softly, hoping that their companions hadn't gotten too far. "Princess Eilonwy!"

Toony was worried about Marie and her fluffballs too, but she couldn't help but feel nervous going down this way with him calling out to them like this...maybe she should try and get him to follow her another way before they had an unwanted guest.

"Taran, I think we should go back..." she told him as he got closer and closer to the end of the hall. "Maybe they went down a different way."

"One moment Toony, let me just-" But just as he peeked around the corner, a loud, heart stopping roar ripped through the air, making Taran nearly jump out of his skin with a gasp as he backed up several paces only to stop in his tracks because he had hit the wall before that horrifyingly mean, and huge man with the leopard skin cap stepped into view.

"Pig boy!" the solider growled out, advancing on the frightened boy as he back up across the floor until he was beside Toony who was practically frozen in place with fear. "You little scut!"

The man then pulled back his muscled arm and promptly backhanded Taran across the face so hard that he flew three feet away and landed in a dazed heap on the ground.

"Taran!" Toony cried, gasping as the solider suddenly walked past her and straight for the young boy with murderous intent in his beady eyes.

He had started to raise his weapon as Taran just started to shake himself out from his daze, and without really thinking, Toony quickly ran over and rammed herself into the soldiers side with the attempt to make him loose his balance and fall over so that they might have a chance to get away; But she soon found that was a very poor idea when he hardly budged an inch.

She looked up as he glared down at her with a slightly confused expression, the both of them kind of unsure what to really do at first...

"Uh...free hugs?" she finally said with a weak smile.

He glared down at the fox tailed young woman, growling as he roughly grabbed her by the arm and flung her away as though she were a sack of potatoes into the wall; The next thing Toony realized when her head stopped spinning, was that she was sitting on her backside with the brute looming over her, his axe posed high and ready to strike.

Before she could even think to brace herself or scream for help, Taran was there in a blink of an eye, the sword unsheathed and timidly wielding it in a defensive manner before he braced himself with an expression of fear on his face as the solider swung his weapon down; From where Taran was standing, his first thought was wondering what in the world he was doing, The soldier was so big and even with a weapon in his hands, he was too thin and small to stand a chance against him in combat... but when he saw that Toony was in trouble, it was like his body moved on his own...

But the second that the steel of both the axe and the sword collided with each other with a loud clang, bright, almost blinding flashes of angry red light sparked into view and the enemy's axe was turned into nothing more than a stick with bits of red hot steel at the end while the sword stayed perfectly intact, glowing and humming threateningly.

He was stunned at what had just happened, his mouth hung open as he looked down at his ruined axe before dropping it and holding his arms up in surrender only to run away with his tail between his legs.

But Taran didn't even notice him leave as he gazed up at the sword in wonder as it continued to glow, realizing that was he was held in his hands was a powerful weapon endowed with great magic...and after a while, a smile slowly spread across his face and laughter was soon to follow before he then started to swing it around with elated joy.

It was as if he had completely forgotten all about how scared he had been just moments ago as well as the fact that they were still inside the castle, but Toony could understand; With that sword, he could be the strong, important warrior he always dreamed he would become...

" _There_ you are!" Marie exclaimed, looking Toony over as Cheo and Hiromi fussed about her as well. "We were worried about you, what happened to staying close?!"

"Are you alright?" Eilonwy asked as she looked on at the young boy, confused by his very strange behavior.

"Oh good, you're safe!" Taran said in relief, that smile still on his face.

"Why of course, I-" the princess began before she was interrupted by Taran grabbing her by the hand excitedly.

"Come on, I'm gonna get you out of here!" he promised, pulling her along and leaving Marie feeling a bit confused by the whole exchange.

"...What's got _him_ in such a good mood?" Marie asked.

"Later, let's just get out of here!" Toony said as they quickly followed after the two young ones. With the sword in hand, Taran bravely led the group along without any run in with the horned kings' henchmen so far; But after a short while, their luck seemed to run out as a group of soldiers tried to head them off by a flight of stairs.

" _There_ they are!" one of them yelled.

"Quick! Up here!" Taran cried, leading them up the stairs. but as they got halfway up, Toony let out a cry as she felt a hand grab her by the tail and made her fall to her hands and knees; Looking over her shoulder, she gasped as she saw that one of the brutish men had her in his grip. But she wasn't the only one in trouble as she heard Eilonwy scream as a a lone solider was charging towards them from the top of the steps.

Everything that happened next was almost too fast for them to really register, Marie was at Toony's side in the blink of an eye, her dagger unsheathed as she sliced a deep cut across the meaty forearm that held Toony, making him let go with a pain filled yell before the dark haired woman pushed him down the stairs with a good hard shove of her foot. His troop had managed to move out of the way as he tumbled down the steps, but at the loud clang and flashing light, all of them looked up in shock and surprise just as Taran flung his opponent over their heads, making him crash on top of the rest of his compatriots follow in suit to the end of the stairs; His sword glowing with a blue hue before it faded away.

"There, aren't you glad he took the sword now?" Toony asked as Marie just gave her a dirty look after realizing how special that weapon was.

But if she had any snappy retort in mind, a loud scream interrupted her and they all looked up to see the old, traveling Bard they had rescued just a little bit ago running along the upper floor with a huge gray dog chasing after him.

"Great Belin!" came Fflewddur's trademark cry as he struggled to keep ahead of the snapping beast. "Help! _Murder!_ "

But as much as they wanted to, they couldn't stick around and try to help him as they watched him jump from the ledge and grab on to the chandelier, while the dog followed after him and dangled from the seat of his pants. They had their own problems to deal with when the men back at the bottom of the stairs started to get back up.

Taran had Eilonwy take the lead this time as he help Marie get Toony back up on her feet, and as they reached the top pf the steps, they were relived to see a light at the held of the hall past several large barrels that were no doubt filled with wine. Taran had all of them run ahead as he had an idea of how to slow down his pursers, but after he caught back up with them, it didn't seem to help all that much as which ever way they turned, there was an endless wave of soldiers that would cut them off at every path.

This place was _crawling_ with soldiers!

But finally, as if by some miracle, they managed to find themselves outside of the dark castle and back into day light; Unfortunately though, the tall walls of the stone gate, which were originally built to keep anything from coming in, was effectively trapping them in here.

And when they could go no further because of the closed draw bridge, they all watched in terror as the Creeper came running around the corner with dozens of his masters followers right behind him.

"Come on! Get them!" Came the little goblins raspy shout.

"Oh no, _Taran!_ " Eilonwy started fearfully as the young man looked just as worried. Even with an enchanted weapon, there would be no way he could take on this many soldiers at once!

"We got you now, pig boy!" The Creeper cackled just as a hulk brute heaved an axe at them, making Eilowny let out a loud scream as she just barley managed to move out of the way as it buried itself in the draw bridge.

"Toony, now might be a good time to use that pixie dust Tinkerbell gave you!" Marie whispered urgently to her charge. "If we split it, maybe we'll have just enough to carry Taran and Eilonwy over the top and make a break for it on the other side!"

"Um, _Yeeeah_ , about that..." Toony started, averting her gaze a bit. "I don't have it."

"... _What?_ " Marie asked, almost with a dangerously low growl

"I, uh...may or may not have left it on my desk back at the Phoenix." Toony explained, wincing at the intense scowl Marie threw at her.

"You _left_ it on the _boat?!_ " Marie demanded, unable to keep her voice down. "What's the point of having it for emergencies when you don't have it on you to use?!"

"I'm _sorry_ , alright?!" Toony snapped, trying to keep quieter about it be she let out a yelp as a spear embedded itself in the wood near her head. " I don't always remember to have things with me, and I was a bit distracted by the fact we're actually in one of the darkest films known to Disney!"

"Taran, _do_ something!" Eilowny cried, breaking up Toony and Marie's little argument as a flurry of axes and spears practically rained down upon them. Taran wasn't able to respond at first, and barely managing to avoid getting skewered and backed into the chained pulley that was connected to the wooden gate, which Marie, Toony and Eilonwy instantly took notice of.

" _Use the sword!_ " The three of them cried together.

Looking up at the heavy chain and catching on to what they wanted him to do, Taran took his weapon and swung it up before the sword started humming and glowing once again with sparks flying as he sawed at the steel; And at the sight of the sword that seemed to have lightning shoot out from it, the Creeper and every solider behind him stopped in their tracks, watching with wide eyes and gaping mouths at the spectacle before them.

After a few moments, Taran finally cut through the chain and the draw bridge dropped down with a heavy _**BOOM!**_ But Eilonwy, Marie, Cheo and Hiromi and Taran seemed as though they were rooted to the spot, as if they were unable to believe that the sword had actually done it...even Toony, as someone who already knew it would work, still found it incredible to have witnessed in person.

" _MAKE WAAAY!_ " Came the cry of Fflewddur Fflamm, making the soldiers part as the white haired man had managed to find his own way out from the confines of the castle and came barreling through with that tenacious canine beast hot on his heels. "Make way! Stand aside, I command you!"

"Get out from under my feet!"

But as everyone was staring at the strange, but mildly humorous spectacle of the dog had grabbing him by the seat of his pants once again, Toony was the first to look away as the clinking sound made her look up just as the gate from the top of the entrance started to release.

"Are you waiting for an invitation?!" she cried as she and her fluffballs darted out through the entrance.

"Run, princess, run!" Taran yelled, taking Eilonwy by the hand and running after Toony with Marie following up the rear to make sure that they got out alright.

And they didn't look back even after they heard the loud slam of the gate closing before Fflewddur was running after them with a disheveled expression and a hole in the back of his pants.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a _magic_ sword?!"

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 **YES! Made it out alive! WOOT!  
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 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be coming soon :3**


	16. Fearful Denial, Part 3

**Oh my goodness, this too WAY longer than it should have! XP but here it is, I hope you guys all enjoy the chapter okay :3 :3 :3**

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 _Chapter 16: Fearful Denial, part 3_ **  
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Toony didn't know how long she, Marie, her fluffballs and their new friends had been running once they had narrowly escaped from the Horned Kings' castle, but they didn't stop moving until that creepy place was completely out of sight before they finally came into a quiet little glade where they all sat down to rest and catch their breath. And during this much needed time to relax, Eilonwy offered to assist their eldest companion in sewing a temporary patch on his trousers; To which the old Bard gratefully accepted as he hid himself behind some bushes before he handed her his ripped pants and soon began playing on his harp to pass the time.

Taran began to polish the blade of his amazing new sword with a cloth that he had with him, and Marie sat next to Toony and began digging in the bag she brought from the Phoenix before pulling out ointment and bandages.

Eilonwy took notice of what Marie was doing, and since Flewddur looked like he was going to be singing for a bit now that he had a proper audience to play to for the first time in however long, she set her sewing to the side and eagerly asked if she could help Toony dress her wounds as a 'thank you' to them for all that they did in helping them get away from that terrible castle; And seeing no reason to refuse, Marie just gave a shrug of her shoulders and handed the items over to the young girl as Toony pulled her hair back and let her work.

"That is a rather lovely bracelet you have Toony." Eilonwy said, making some small talk with her as she gently wrapped the bandages around the fox eared womans' neck. "Are those real diamonds? I never knew that they could be so many colors."

"Oh, thank you." Toony said as she raised up her left hand and looked down at the magical bangle. "I'm pretty sure they're real, colored diamonds are really common where I'm from."

"My um... _grandfather_ gave it to me."

"That's so sweet, it must be very important to you." the little princess commented. "Did he give it to you before?"

"Before what?" Toony asked.

"Before that witch cursed you, silly." Eilonwy said with a slight giggled, playfully tickling one of her ears as Toony's mind began reeling from her accidental slip up.

"Oh _that_ , yeah!" the red head hastily said, scrambling to think of something to say. "I er, you see-"

"He gave it to her after." Marie suddenly interjected. " He knew that the people in town would be scared of her lookin' like this, and he had this item hidden away in a safe place because it was magical. Since I was a close friend of the family, he asked that I went with her to make sure she was safe until we finally find a way to break the spell."

"Once we do that, we can use the bracelet to guide us back home."

"Wow..." came a young voice, making the three ladies looked over to see that Fflewddur had suddenly stopped playing his harp and that he and Taran were now staring at them with wide eyes upon hearing the tale.

But once they realized that they had been caught looking at them, Taran quickly went back to polishing his blade and the Bard resumed playing his songs.

"That's quiet a tale." Eilonwy said. "I do hope that you both get to return home soon."

Toony smiled at the little princesses kindness, she always thought it was a such a shame that her character fell so short in the movie, especially since many people often say that she had a much bigger role in the books; But she still appreciated Eilonwys' sweet, gentle and considerate personality.

"There now, all done, does that feel any better?" the young girl asked once she finally finished up. " It's not too tight, is it?"

"It's perfect, Eilonwy, thank you." Toony told her as she moved her head from side to side to test the bandages.

The princess beamed with pride at Toony's praise, but the moment she got up and and went back to finish patching up the rip in Fflewddurs' pants while he continued to serenade everyone with his silly songs from the bushes, the bandages suddenly fell loose and hung limply about Toonys neck and shoulders; Eilonwy obviously didn't have much practice with sewing or setting bandages, but Toony would still give the well meaning girl an 'A' for effort.

"Here, let me try." Marie said, sitting down beside her on the fallen log, having Toony move her hair again before she started replying the wraps.

"You're really good at that." Toony commented, referring to the save she had given with that story.

"It ain't all that hard, spinnin' tales comes naturally when you have two kids who _always_ want bed time stories that have magic and adventure, just need to treat it like a story." Marie told her. "It also helps make it more believable to add a bit of truth to it, too."

"Now, are you sure you don't want anymore ointment on those cuts before I fasten these?"

"I'm sure." Toony told her with a grin. "Don't wanna go around smelling like I wear neosporin scented perfume."

"That's not funny." Marie said, but she actually managed to crack a smile as she kept working. And once she was done, Toony let out a relaxed sigh as she stretched out her arms and back while enjoying the sunny day.

It was so peaceful and quiet out here in these woods, such a welcomed change from the dark fortress they had just barely escaped from only hours ago. And although she definitely heard better, it was nice to hear their old Bard sing and play on his harp, effectively making her feel like she was finally safe from getting a sword run right through her.

Even Cheo and Hiromi seemed to agree as they snoozed contentedly on her lap, completely exhausted from the whole terrifying ordeal back at the castle...

"Ha! What does a _girl_ know about swords anyway?!" came the sudden, loud scoff from Taran as stood before the princess with his hands on his hips an a scowl on his face.

And _there_ went the peace and quiet...

"Girl? _Girl?!_ " Eilonwy retorted, rounding back on Taran for accusing her of knowing so little about weapons simply because she wasn't a boy. "If it weren't for this 'girl', you would _still_ be in the Horned Kings dungeon!"

"Here now, princess Eilonwy, eh, Taran-" Fflewddur began, trying to stop a fight from breaking out.

But it didn't seem work as Toony and Marie continued to watch on as the princess obviously wasn't going to stand to be treated so rudely by a boy, who was not that much older than she was, all because he found himself an enchanted sword and got a swelled head.

"At least I don't keep talking about it forever!" the blonde girl continued, her sapphire blue eyes glaring back at Taran. "Oh you're so...so _boring!_ "

"N-n-now princess Eilonwy!" The Bard said again, more forcefully as he slapped a fist on his open palm. I-"

"How dare you take _his_ side!" The princess yelled, outraged that he was being so unfair in scolding her before she threw his pants in his face.

"Ah, I-I-I really didn't, eh didn't mean to-to-to, uh-" Ffewddur stuttered, but wouldn't listen as she began to leave.

"Silly girl, even if she is a princess!" Taran said, finally having a chance to get the last word in before he started walking away in an angry huff, making Eilonwy hurry away before she started crying as Fflewddur tried once again in vain to stop them.

"But we're going to have to, eh- to..." But his shoulders fell as they didn't stop storming off in different directions. " d-eh, _oh_...oh dear..."

And after he looked back up, he turned a bit red to see that Marie and Toony, and even the fluffballs who were awaken by the commotion, were all staring at him he stood there with his undergarments showing before he finally got the sense to hide his lower half from sight with his pants.

"And _that_ is why we don't stick our noses in adolescent tiffs like this, Fflewddur." Marie stated, making Cheo and Hiromi cover their mouths with this little paws to stifle their giggles.

The old man couldn't really say anything audible as he fumbled over his words, clearly exasperated over not being able to peacefully handle the situation, but eventually, he just sidestepped away into the trees so he could put his trousers on in privacy and hope that his young companions would return after a little while.

Toony felt a little bad for Fflewddur as she watched him go, but she didn't dwell on it for too long when Marie suddenly got to her feet, a rather grim expression on her face.

"Marie?" Toony asked with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"This place isn't like the others...is it." her guide suddenly commented when she was sure they were alone. "Hook may have been dangerous, but his arrogance often landed him on the loosing end...and I should have known that you wouldn't be totally safe from dangers if you were careful like in the last world."

"It's a _lot_ scarier than Neverland or that place where Aurora is." Hiromi added as Cheo gave a nod in agreement.

"Not all of Disney is as pleasant as most..." Toony admitted looking down at the ground with a bit of shame. "Does that mean you're even madder at me for dragging you along?"

"Not at all, if anything, I would have been madder if you didn't." Marie told her. "This just means we'll need to take extra precautions... _if_ we ever make it back to the Phoenix."

"Nice, I like the use of that 'if' you threw in there." Toony commented with a roll of her eyes. "Fantastic show of confidence."

At that, Maire just gave another small smile with a shrug of her shoulders that told Toony she was just speaking honestly. And since Cheo and Hiromi were now awake, the fox tailed woman then decided it was time for her to see what she could do with Taran since he was supposed to be the one she needed to help here.

"Alright, I'm gonna go track down Taran." Toony announced, standing to her feet and stretching a bit before she adjusted the bangle at her wrist. " Lets see if I can get another one of these things to light up."

"That would be much appreciated." Marie said. " I'd sincerely rather _not_ have another run-in with that dictator with antlers and his smelly hooligans!"

"You know, for someone not being that much older than me, you sure talk like an old fashioned biddy all the time." Toony stated with a grin, not that she really minded it because she grew up listening to the southern dialect as most of her relations lived either in Texas or Louisiana. And even though her mother and father's weren't as strong, they would still get that familiar twang now and then...when they were angry enough.

"What can I say? It's just the way mama and daddy raised me." Marie said with a smirk as she put her hands on Toonys' shoulders and started pushing her in the direction Taran stormed off too. "It takes a _lot_ to get me swearing like a sailor."

"Now, are you gonna keep teasing my vocabulary or are you gonna get us out of here?"

Toony gave a short laugh, but soon started on her way in search of the young boy with Cheo and Hiromi following close behind and keeping an eye out for their target.

But as she went a bit deeper into the woods, she didn't have to go too much further until she finally spotted him at a quiet pond, just staring over the still waters with a rather forlorn expression before it suddenly gave way to anger and he would kick an unsuspecting rock into the pond; Almost like he was having an internal fight with himself that kept going in his head as he suddenly kicked another stone into the water.

Well, here goes nothing...

"You know, I really don't think that kicking things and disturbing the ecosystem is a very healthy way to let off steam..." Toony finally commented before he could kick another defenseless rock in the pond, making Taran jump and look at her while she sat down by the tree and played with Cheo and Hiromi a bit before he walked up to her. "Are you done with your tantrum now or can we still expect you to get so defensive over every little thing?"

" Don't lecture me as though I'm a child!" Taran snapped, still heated over his fight with the princess. " I'm fourteen, not four!"

"And Eilonwy is thirteen and I'll be twenty-six in just a few months." Toony listed calmly as she looked up at him." But age hardly matters if you let you let your temper make you act like a brat."

"Then have you only come to tell me that I was wrong?!" he grumbled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

"Do I really need to?" Toony asked. "Sounds to me like you already know you were in the wrong...otherwise, you wouldn't be heading back, right?"

Taran sat back a bit with an expression of surprise at how she seemed to 'guess' that was what he was planning to do, but it was quickly chase away by an angry scoff.

"I-I'm not heading back, because I wasn't wrong!" He quickly said, crossing his arms and turning his back to her. " And I wasn't afraid in that place either! I was... _concerned_ , but only for a short while, that's all!"

Toony couldn't help but let out a light, humorous snort as she shook her head at him. He was so hard headed and so determined to be the way he was so sure a warrior...she couldn't help but think of her brother when they were fourteen. With all the crazy situations he got himself in since he first started to walk, heaven forbid that _anyone_ would accuse him of being scared, especially when his buddies were around.

 _'I wasn't scared, I was a tad bit concerned that I might have died, there's a difference!'_ he'd often say...

"Taran, we're all friends here, you don't have to put up such a macho front...I know how scared you must have been in that castle, I was scared too, _everyone_ was." the fox eared woman said, walking around to face him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Finding that enchanted sword must have given you a great boost in confidence, and I have no doubt that it's the only reason we where able to make it out of there, all because _you_ took it upon yourself to take it and use it to protect us before you even knew what it could do."

At that, Taran's expression lightened up a little as he looked back up at her, not sure that he heard her correctly.

"You _really_ think that?" the young man asked, a bit of hope in his eyes that she was telling the truth.

" Cross my heart, I would be the _last_ person to say that anyone who would jump in front of an axe swinging psycho for me was anything less than valiant." Toony affirmed with a nod before she gave a light punch to his shoulder. "Seriously, you're my hero for doing that."

At that, Taran bashfully looked away and scuffed the toe of his shoe along the ground as he seemed to be in much better spirits at being called someones hero for the first time, but her two fluffballs both gave loud gasps of shock.

"Taran saved you?" Hiromi asked, looking at her creator in total surprise. "From an _axe?!_ "

"You didn't tell us that happened!" Cheo added, just as surprised.

"I didn't tell you because I'm okay." Toony told them. "Plus, I didn't want Marie to freak out and make a big deal out of it."

"And we're _still_ not gonna tell her because I know for a fact that's what she'll do!"

Taran covered his mouth a bit to stifle a laugh at how urgent Toony was that they not tell their dark haired companion about what happened; And while Toony was glad that he was in a much better mood from before, it was time continue the talk.

"But Taran, you were kind of unfair to Eilonwy, earlier." she started. "If it wasn't for her finding the courage to escape from whatever dark cell the Horned King held her in on her own, you wouldn't have that sword, she wouldn't have even found us in the first place and we would all still be trapped...or _worse._ Do you _really_ think that you didn't overreact because you thought she was calling you a coward when she was only stating that we are alive because you were lucky enough to find an enchanted weapon?"

The young man let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his brown hair as he looked down at the ground, hanging his head in shame.

"No...I didn't mean to get so angry, and I don't mean to brag about it like some blow hard." the young man said, scuffing his boot along the gravel. " It's just...with this sword, I finally feel like I can be _somebody_ , somebody who's more than just a boring, 'assistant' pig keeper...someone who's not worthless."

"Did someone call you that once?" Toony asked, a spot of anger rising in her heart at the thought of anyone saying something so cruel to him.

"For the longest time, Dallben was the only one who ever cared about me...he took me in and raised me when I lost my parents." Taran explained rubbing the back of his neck. "I will be forever grateful for his kindness after all these years, but because we live on a small and simple farm, giving so much special care to pig and never telling anyone about her power, even me...we were often looked down upon as small and simple by many passing travelers, especially if they happened to be warriors."

"But that's no excuse for treating the princess the way I did, I know she didn't mean anything by it, but I went too far." He quickly added. "I'm very sorry."

After that, Toony just offered him a kind smile and tussled his brown hair affectionately. She always knew he was a good boy at heart, and hearing his story, now she understood why he had gotten so defensive before; Spending most of his days dreaming of doing great and noble deeds, being someone that others could look up to and depend on and proving that he wasn't just a nobody was something that that was very important to him. Having a sword must have been a dream come true for a boy who wished he could become a gallant hero in the eyes of many.

But that was also his problem, he didn't need an _object_ to feel like he was of value...hopefully, he would realize that soon enough.

"That's good to hear, hun, it's very mature of you to admit that you made a mistake." She said gently. " But I don't think _I'm_ the one you need to be apologizing to."

"Eilonwy was heading towards the river when you both left...you know what to do."

Taran looked a bit nervous at first, but then a determined expression soon appeared on his face; and after giving Toony a thankful nod, he started marching back to make things right between himself and Eilonwy.

Once he was gone, the fox tailed woman took a quick glance down at her bangle, but to her confusion and slight disappointment, none of the other diamonds flashed with light...maybe she still needed time to work with Taran on this...

But rather then wallow on her disappointment, she and Cheo and Hiromi just took their time back towards the clearing where Fflewddur and Marie were waiting, letting themselves just take in and enjoy scenery around them...even though Cheo and Hiromi would scold her every now and then for not telling them what happened with the soldier back at the castle.

And as they continued on their way, they felt at ease in this place. Pyrdain really was a beautiful land when there wasn't a bunch of people running around swinging weapons and shooting arrows this way and that; But then, when Toony and her fluffballs had almost made it back to their rest spot, the fox tailed woman jerked to a stop when Fflewddurs' terrified cry broke through the silence.

" _AAAH! GREAT BELIN!_ "

Toony share wide eyes looks with her fluffballs before she broke off into a sprint the rest of the way down the trail before she finally arrived at the clearing...watching as the old Bard struggled on the ground with a familiar, white furred figure crawling all around him before a smile of recognition appeared on her face.

"Help! _Murder!_ " Flewddurr cried as he was assaulted and crawled all over by a small, strange little creature with sandy white fur. "Hurry!"

But his cries for help were interrupted when it wrapped its hairy arms around his neck.

"Gurgi's lucky day!" his attacker laughed as he rolled the poor old Bard over and promptly took his red feathered hat, at which Fflewddur quickly tried to appease him by saying it was a gift if it would make the little creature leave him alone.

"Hold still and I'll get it!" Marie ordered, who had been the first to arrive at the scene, had her hand on the hilt of her dagger while she followed the rolling bodies of the Bard and this weird, freakish... _thing._

"Oh _this!_ " the creature said as he said on Fflewddurs' back with the harp in his paws. "Gurgi want this!"

"Go ahead, I'm sure you've murdered for less!" Fflewddur whimpered before he gagged as the harp, which was still around his neck was pulled.

"Want!" it grunted as it continued to pull, unintentionally chocking the man. "Gurgi _want!_ "

But just when she was about to strike, that was when Toony gave a gasp and ran towards her, waving her arms about frantically to get her attention.

"Marie, _no!_ Don't!" she cried, grabbing Marie by the wrist before she could attack him; And after letting out a relived sigh that she had made it in time, she smiled down at the adorable, gopher wood troll as he kept trying to get the harp away from Fflewddur so he could go on his merry way.

"It's okay, he's friendly." Toony assured her.

The dark haired woman glanced down as the fuzzy creature continued to strangle the poor old man with his own harp.

"... _that's_ friendly?" her guide asked, not at all convinced.

"Gurgi!" Came Taran's exasperated voice, making Toony turn to see him re-sheathing his sword as Eilonwy was peering around him curiously.

Marie also put away her own blade away as the little creature, now known as Gurgi, promptly let go of the harp; Making it fly over and hit Fflewddur in the back of the head from the tension before he looked over at Taran with an expression that resembled that of a child who was caught with his hand, or paw in his case, in the cookie jar.

" _Master?_ " Gurgi asked, completely surprised as he had never thought he'd see the young man again after he left to go the the dark castle after his pig; But upon seeing that Taran was in fact alive and well, he tried to cover himself after his...'encounter' with Fflewddur so he wouldn't get in trouble.

"Oh uh, old man, uh...fall down!"

The little troll then put his paws under the Bards arms and started making it appear that he was helping him.

"Get up, get up!" he whispered urgently before he quickly removed the hat and hid it behind his back as the old man picked himself up to his knees.

"Well... _Really!_ " Fflewddur began, a bit flustered as he dusted off his harp before he looked over to Taran. "Eh-who is your _pungent_ little friend?!"

"He's no friend of mine!" the young man stated, turning his head away. "He's just a coward...and a _thief!_ "

Gurgi looked a bit dejected and hurt by Tarans comment, but he didn't say anything against as he knew that he did himself no favors by being the way he was; Though instead of holding on to the hat, he just pulled it out from behind him and gave a scoff.

"Hmpff! Too big anyways..." the troll commented as he tossed it back to Fflewddur.

That was when Eilowny stepped forward and came to stand next to Toony. And upon seeing two ladies looking down at him with kind smiles, Gurgi quickly licked both of his paws and tried to smooth out the scruffy fur on his head to make himself appear more presentable for them before he bashfully clasped them behind his back.

"Oh you _are_ charming." Eilonwy commented after the adorable display.

"I would even say cute as a button." Toony cooed with a big grin; Gurgi was her favorite character in the Black Cauldron, and although he probably wouldn't have minded it, it was taking everything she had not to scoop him up in her arms and cuddle him tightly right then and there. But, that would raise questions within the group about how she seemed so familiar with him that she wouldn't know how to answer.

"And pungent too!" Gurgi said proudly, obviously oblivious to the fact that the comment made by the Bard wasn't meant to be a compliment.

But Eilonwy just gave an amused laugh and Gurgi seemed pleased that he was getting so much positive attention... It must have felt nice for him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Taran asked, clearly wanting the little thief that caused him so much trouble before to leave.

"Eh, yes, exactly!" Fflewddur chimed in, still on his knees and hiding behind Taran. "Toddle off, toddle off!"

Toony glared at the two of them from being so mean to him, but she held her tongue as she heard the little wood troll give a snort.

"Hmph! Gurgi go!" he huffed angrily before he began storming away. But he didn't get very far when he suddenly paused mid-stomp and looked at the ground.

"Tracks?" he asked before he put his foot back down in realization. " _Tracks!_ "

"Gurgi remember, saw piggy's tracks!" he stated excitedly, pointing a ways up the trail.

"You did?" Taran asked, a hopeful smile appearing on his face.

"Today!" Gurgi assured.

"Today?!" the young man repeated, getting excited himself by the good news. But then he suddenly got a suspicious look on his face and crossed his arms. "Wait a minuet..."

He didn't really trust the little troll after what happened the last time he tried to 'help'. It was because of him wanting an apple so much, that he tried to lead Taran down the wrong path and the boy ended up losing Hen When to the Horned Kings' Gwythiants.

"Why should we believe him?" Marie asked, obviously siding with Taran and Fflewddur with her hand on her hips and looking down at Gurgi with distrust.

"He'll try _anything!_ " Fflewddur commented, holding no faith for him at all because he just tried to rob him only moments ago.

"Oh you're all _horrid!_ " Eilonwy said disapprovingly as Toony stood by her and fixed them with a distasteful glare of her own. "He just might know!"

"Pretty ladies come too?" Gurgi asked, happy that someone believed he was telling the truth before he started hopping around their legs and earning a bout of laughter from them.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" he said, pulling at the hems of their dresses and urging them to follow him. "Follow Gurgi! Follow Gurgi!"

Cheo and Hiromi didn't seem to see anything wrong with following him, and after a moment, Marie gave a defeated sigh as she then followed in suit as well.

"You better be telling the truth!" Taran warned after finally relenting.

"Gurgi not lie!" the fuzzy troll promised. "Not _this_ time..."

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The lot of them trudge on through the land as they followed Gurgi to the area where he remembered seeing Hen Whens' tracks. There was one instance when they had to cross over a fallen tree to get to the other side of a large fissure; Fflewddur refused to go over it at first if it wasn't for the princess offering to hold his arm and guide him over, as well a Marie pushing him across from behind to keep him movie.

"We close, see more piggy's tracks soon!" Gurgi finally announced excitedly after night had just fallen on them.

"I'll believe it when I see it." Taran said, allowing Gurgi to keep ahead to show him the proof as Fflewddur and Eilonwy followed close behind.

Toony was getting a little excited herself, once they got to the magical whirlpool, then they'd get to meet king Eidilleg of the fair folk. She always thought that the little pixies were so flipping cute, and she was having a tough time keeping up her composure because she simply couldn't _wait_ to meet them! But out of the blue, Toony felt a hand on her shoulder, effectively stopping her from taking her step and heard the voice of her guide calling out to the others.

"Ya'll go on ahead, we'll catch up in a bit." Marie told Taran and the others with a small smile before they nodded and continued on.

"Don't think I haven't noticed that goofy grin you had since that little fuzzball joined our troop, you're acting a bit too happy considering you haven't gotten another stone to glow yet." the dark haired woman told Toony as she let her go and put her hands on her hips. "Besides, I've been wanting to talk to you about something a good while now."

"Can't that wait until-" Toony started, but she was interrupted.

"No, we're going to talk about it _now._ " Marie said. "Are Taran and the others walking into trouble that will require us to help them?"

"Well, not really, but I-" Toony began, but Marie continued on.

"Good, then I need you to tell me exactly what's going to happen." Maire said, crossing her arms that told Toony she was leaving no room for negotiation. "I want to stay a step ahead of _any_ danger that might be coming our way in the future."

"Bu-bu-bu," Toony sputtered, behaving like a little girl who just got denied a sweet treat and pointing ahead to where the others disappeared. "I wanna see the fair folk! We'll be getting to their hide out soon!"

Marie said nothing as her lip pursed together and the corner of one of her brows raised as a very unamused expression set itself upon her fair features before Toony pulled herself together.

"Alright, yeah, you're right." Toony said, slapping her cheeks a bit. " Gotta stay focused."

"As far as serious dangers go, we really don't have to worry for a while longer." Toony assured. "I mean, there's the witches of Morva we need to be careful of, but the _serious_ stuff comes after Taran gets the black cauldron."

"So we _do_ find it then?" Marie asked.

Toony gave a nod, but before she could explain further, shouting from ahead caught their attention.

"Gurgi! Hold on!" Taran's voice called out in concern, making the two women look at each other before they darted down the path were their friends had continued on.

But there was nothing they could do as they came upon them in a magic pool of water that was whirling around and sucking them under the waves; and it didn't take too long for their figures to disappear completely from sight and the water soon stilled, leaving Toony, Marie and Cheo and Hiromi standing there at the bank in silence.

" _Awww..._ " Toony whined, deflating with disappointment after missing the chance to go down and meet the adorable fairy characters that were below the pool.

"Yeah, I know, how very sad for you." Marie said with a roll of her hazel eyes. " Now, since it's obvious that they're going to be just fine considering your lack of concern, we should get back to our talk."

Sighing a bit, Toony gave a nod as she, Marie and her fluffballs all sat down upon the ground to to tell her everything she cold remember that would happen as the story movie went along

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It only took a short time until Taran and the other returned to the surface with the help of the fair folk, and Toony was happy that she managed to catch a small glimpse of the sweet, adorable fairies, even more so that Doli would now be joining them, before they had to return back under the pool as the young boy began to lead the way with a new spring in his step after announcing that they now knew where the black cauldron was hidden.

"Well, if it's the marshes of Morva ya wanted, here ya are." Doli announced from his seat upon Doli's hat.

"Oh, it's such a dreary place..." Eilonwy said aloud, keeping the hem of her dress up a bit so it wouldn't catch on something.

"Ew, it's muggy too!" Toony commented in annoyance, hating the way the damp air made it feel like her cloths and hair were sticking to her skin uncomfortably.

"Let's see what it looks like from up here." Taran instructed as he lead the way up a steep hill. But once they made it, every direction just looked the same; And it didn't help matters being so foggy either.

"If we _can_ see it." Marie commented. " The mist is so thick you could cut it clean through with a butter knife!"

"I think we're lost." Eilonwy stated as she shared a worried look with Taran.

"Are you sure this is the right way, Doli?" Fflewddur asked, obviously exsauhsted from walking around in such a rough terrain for so long.

" _Yes_ I'm sure!" the cranky fairy told him, angry that a person would doubt his sense of direction when he was just a mortal. While the bard just gave a sigh as he kept walking to stand next to Taran.

"Well, if you ask me-"

But he couldn't get another word out as a startled cry erupted from his throat from walking right off of a drop that he couldn't notice due to the thick mists of the marsh and tumbled down into a heap upon the ground below.

"Oh my lord!" Marie cried out in concern as Eilonwy called their names in equal fright that they might have hurt themselves.

"Are you alright?" Taran asked before he, Toony and the others all began climbing down to see if they were both okay.

The Bard only stirred a bit and let out a groan, but he was okay considering how many hits he took on the way down as a small figure scurried around from beneath his red cap and hollering in anger from nearly getting squished.

"Hey look out ya big clumsy oaf!" Doli yelled out as he finally got his head out from under Fflewddurs' cape "Look where ya-ah, uh-oh..."

He stopped as he looked ahead in fear, prompting everyone else to follow his gaze to see that the mists were thinning to reveal an old cottage that made everyone feel a bit nervous upon seeing it.

"Welcome to Morva."

"Well, someone must live here." Taran said.

"Gurgi not like this place!" the frightened wood troll whimpered as he grabbed Eilonwys' dress and wrapped it around his head a bit to hide. "Uh-uh, noooo."

"It's okay, Gurgi, don't be scared." Toony assured, holding out a hand to Gurgi who took it without hesitated as the princess moved to peek inside the windows.

"It seems empty." Eilonwy told them as she looked over to Taran. "Maybe we should have a look."

"That might be the best idea." Taran agreed, walking over to the door.

"You call walking into another persons property without permission a _good_ idea?" Marie asked. "Well my goodness, I'd hate to hear ya'll give a bad one!"

"I concur on that notion!" Fflewddur said with a frantic nod of his head.

"We don't have any choice, Marie," Taran told her, and even though he was nervous as well, he kept on a brave and firm face. " As long as we stick together, we should be alright."

"Right Toony?"

Toony, who had stayed on her knees holding Gurgi's paw and stroking his head comfortingly, blinked as she suddenly realized that everyone's attention was now suddenly on her. But she did managed to catch the words 'stick together' and 'alright', she had a pretty good idea what was said.

"Oh yeah, of course, we'll be perfectly fine." She said with a confident nod.

"And if we can find the cauldron before the Horned King does, then we can destroy it for good!" Taran added with determination that made Toony's grin falter as he sent her another expectant look.

"...uh... sure, you know it..." she offered as she held up two, half hearted thumbs up. But even though Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi and Doli seemed satisfied with that, she noticed that Marie was peering at her with suspicious, narrowed eyes.

"If I can just get this door open!" Taran said, thrusting his shoulder against the door a couple of times before it finally flew open and he stumbled inside.

"Well, I think it might be a good idea for Toony and I to stay out here, that way we can let ya'll know if we see anything coming." Marie said, and once they had all disappeared within the cottage after agreeing with Maries' idea, the guide suddenly pinched Toonys' right ear in between her fingers.

Her smile traded in for a scowl.

"You! Over here!"

" _Ow! Ow! Ow!_ " Toony whimpered, half tempted to call out abuse as she was forcefully drug across the ground and back over to the spot where Fflewddur and Doli had fallen.

"I've tried to keep my temper under control as well as my mouth, but _this_ ain't gonna fly with me, Toony!" Marie scolded. "I asked you point blank to share _everything_ about what will happen and there's _still_ something you ain't telling me!"

"Did Marie find out about the axe?" Cheo asked Hiromi, he tried to keep his voice in a whisper, but Marie managed to hear him.

"What axe?" Marie asked in confusion as Toony sent a glare over at her fluffballs for the slip before the dark haired woman just waved her hands and got back on the matter at hand. " You know what, never mind, just tell me why you lied to Taran earlier!"

"How did you know I was lying to him?" Toony asked curiously.

"Oh please, you're a god awful liar when you're put on the spot!" Marie said. "I'm sorry, but that's the honest to goodness truth."

"I _hate_ being kept in the dark Toony!"

"I wasn't doing on purpose, I just...didn't remember to mention it until now." The fox eared woman told her honestly with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Alright, fine." her guide said, accepting it as an honest mistake. "Would you care to share it with us now, then?"

But at that moment, a scream from the princess made them turn back to the cottage to see waves of frogs hopping out and away, every one of the slimy green amphibians croaking loudly as they went every which way as fast as they can.

"What in the _world?_ " Marie started in shock. "Where did all the frogs come from?"

"Uuuh, those weren't real frogs..." Toony told her with a nervous smile. "I did tell you that this was a _witches_ cottage, right?"

"Yeah...Taran and the others should be fine for a while, right?" Marie asked as she turned back to her charge. Seeing Toony give a nod before she continued on with the conversation they were having.

"Now before we have any other interruptions, what did you remember?"

"It's about the Cauldron..." Toony finally said. "Taran eventually trades for it, but, they can't destroy it."

"What do you mean by, 'can't destroy it'?" Marie asked. "Won't it be a _good_ thing to get an item that can bring about death and destruction out of the way for good?"

"No, I mean they literally _can't_ ; It was made centuries ago and it's incredibly powerful, so it can't be destroyed by normal means." the fox eared woman explained. "But don't worry, like I said before, Taran and his friends all come out alright in the end."

Marie finally relaxed, satisfied with Toonys' answer as she ran her fingers through her long, dark hair.

"Okay, then if that's all, we'll just need to be careful with it from here on in." she said before she then fixed Toony with another slightly suspicious look.

"Now what was all that about an _axe?_ "

Toony felt her voice caught in her throat, knowing that she would be scolded again for keeping that bit of information to herself, but as if she had an angel looking out for her, she was saved as a terrible ruckus coming from inside the cottage caught Maries' attention. And not able to keep herself away this time, the dark haired woman was the first to hurry towards the cottage.

Leaving Toony to thank her lucky stars before she and her fluffballs followed after her to peek in through the window to see what was going on.

Taran was sitting on the ground, completely out of breath as a clutter of broken dishware lay in pieces all around after his sword seemed to have taken on a life of its own and laid waste to the items it knew that it's young master wasn't looking for.

And the three witches, Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch whispering amongst each other, conniving on how to obtain Tarans' incredible magic sword.

"It's decided then, you shall have the black cauldron!" Orddu, the head witch announce, squeezing Tarans' cheeks together and making him resemble a fish.

"You mean, you'll give it to us?" Eilonwy asked with a joyful smile. But she soon lost it when Orddu began to laugh.

"That's not what I said, you weren't listening!" the old crone told her. "We never give anything away."

"We _bargain..._ " she continued, looking over Tarans' sword with a greedy light in her eyes. " _Trade._

"Well you'll not have my sword!" the young man stated firmly as he pulled his weapon away from her.

And as his friends stepped forward in hopes that they might consider their own personal treasures instead, Marie turned to Toony and tried to keep her voice in a whisper.

"Should we go in and do something?" the darker haired woman asked.

"Like _what?_ " Toony questioned. " Even with all of us, they're still witches! We'd be turned to frogs faster than you could say 'ribbit'."

But as soon as Marie and Toony turned back to look inside, they both let out startled yelps and jerked back when the face of Orddu was looking at them form behind the glass.

"And just what are you lovely goslings doing out here?" she with a witchy smile."When the Witches of Morva do business, we prefer to do it face to face."

Well, they were found out anyway; So after the four of them shuffled inside the cottage, it was like Orddu had suddenly become a gracious hostess welcoming her guests as they arrived in time for a party game.

"Your companions are trying to sway my interest in a trade, do you have anything to offer?"

But Marie didn't really have anything of personal value on her person that the witches would want, and though Orddu briefly glanced over Cheo and Hiromi with interest,Toony quickly took them in her hand and held them close to her with a glare to tell the old witch that they weren't at all up for trade!

"Hey! Looky here!" Orgoch suddenly said, popping up out of nowhere and grabbing Toony by the left wrist and dragging her across the floor to present the bangle on her wrists to her sisters.

"Orddu, can you feel that?" Orwen asked brushing the bangs of her long, orange red hair from her eyes as she peered down at it with fascination.

"Aaah, and what's this?" The head witch asked as she took Toony's hand within her own and gazed down at the gleaming bracelet before she let out a deep laugh. "A rather long way from home, are you not, little duckling?"

"It wasn't by her choice!" Eilonwy stated in Toonys' defense. "A witch cursed her, that's why she looks different."

" I see, 'cursed' are we, my dear?" Orddu repeated with a knowing smile that seemed a bit too wicked for Toony's liking before she finally let the fox eared woman take her arm back and hurry back to stand with her friends.

"No matter, I can sense a most profound magic within that bangel, it may be the only other thing in this room I would be willing to bargain for the cauldron you so seek. "

"I...I'm sorry, but I can't trade this." She said, sending an apologetic look over to Taran, knowing what this trade would cost him. " It's my only link to home, if I loose it..."

"I would never ask you to give up such an important item, Toony." Taran assured her as he turned to the three witches. "Alright...I know what you want..."

" _Yeeees?_ " Ordu asked in a sing-songy voice as she tapped her long fingernails along the blade of Taran's sword.

" _No_ , Taran!" Eilonwy cried, taking his arm and pulling him from the witches grasp. "No!"

"How do we know this will end up how we want? We may end up losing more than what we would gain!" Marie stated, glaring at the three witches as she already knew the answer to it. "These three obviously have the cauldron hidden away pretty well if no ones ever found it after all this time!"

"It's our only chance!" Taran told them. " The Horned King will _never_ stop looking for it, sooner or later, he might just find it, and then he will have the power to lay waste to all of Prydain!"

Marie obviously felt like saying more, but after Toony put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head, the dark haired woman held her tongue while Eilonwy only bowed her head without saying another word of protest; And once Taran knew that she wouldn't try to stop him again, he took a knee, the blade glowing with a blue light as he held it up to Orddu and her sisters.

"Here is my sword... _take_ it."

"Is it your own choice, duckling?" Orddu asked. "Remember, with this sword, you could be the _greatest_ of warriors!"

"...yes." Taran said as gazed down at his sword with a sad longing...becoming a warrior was all he ever wanted for as long as he could remember, but he couldn't keep thinking of only himself...not when so many people in Pyrdain were in danger as the Horned King searched for this terrible weapon.

"I offer my dearest possession, in exchange for the black cauldron..." he said holding the sword higher for them to take it.

"Agreed!" Orddu said as she waved her "We have made a bargain..."

And in the blink of an eye, all three of the witches, as well as the sword, disappeared in bright flight of blue light, leaving the astounded company alone as the cottage and everything in it began to shake as the creepy laughter of Orddu rang in their ears.

At that point, a strong guest of wind suddenly went through cottage, lifting up pots, bottles, chests and other items that were in the household suddenly started flying off the floor and shelves and cupboards and began swirling around them.

"Look out!" Taran cried as even more, heavier objects were effortlessly picked off the ground and whirling around them just before the whole cottage was suddenly ripped up from the ground over their heads.

"Taran! Watch out!" Eilonwy cried as the huge bundle of cauldrons they had found before in the cottage were the last to join the air, almost hitting everyone. One very nearly crashed into Gurgi if Toony hadn't grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away before Taran yelled from them all to duck down to the ground.

No one dared to get up until the wind had stopped and the clanking of the iron pots as disappeared completely, leaving them in total silence before they finally lifted their heads; All of them surprised by the fact that wasn't a single shred of evidence that they had all been standing inside a house only _seconds_ ago.

But their relief that things had finally quieted down was short lived when the earth began to shake, making them stand in alarm before Eilonwy pointed across the way over to a dead tree that looked as though something was trying to push itself from underneath.

And it _did!_ The ground ripped apart with a loud explosion as fire and smoke burst into view, making everyone take a step back with wide, fearful eyes at what was happening.

But once the dust finally cleared, there...in all its terrible glory was the cauldron, that terrifying face said to have been the evil king who was made into the cauldron etched into the soot black iron and looking down at them with an evil they all seemed to sense...

"The black cauldron..." Taran stated in awe as Eilonwy huddled close to him, gazing at the ominous thing in fear. "It's ours!"

They all jump when a shriek like laughter suddenly rang through the air, and they looked up to see an enormous mass of rolling purple clouds rolling in, the giant images of Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch grinning down on them with amusement.

"I say, what _funny_ little ducklings!" Orddu stated. "Don't they know the black cauldron is _indestructible?_ "

Taran, Fflewddur, Eilonwy and Gurgi all looked up at the witches with confusion at what Orddu had meant, but Marie, Toony and her fluffballs glared at them as they knew perfectly well...

"Now listen carefully..." Orddu began, pointing the unearthed cauldron. "The black cauldron can _never_ be destroyed."

"Only it's evil powers can be stopped."

"Then there _is_ a way!" Taran stated with renewed hope that there was still a chance to keep the Horned King from using it. "But _how?_ "

"A living being must climb into of his own free will." the witch explained, saying the instructions slowly so they all could hear and understand it clearly.

"Gurgi is bold and brave!" came the little wood trolls excited voice, eager to help his companions do something useful all by himself as he hurried up to the rim of the cauldron. "He will climb into the evil cauldron!"

"Gurgi get down!" Toony cried just as he was about to jump into it. But thankfully, Orddu continued on with her instructions.

" _However_..." she began, making Gurgi pause and look back up at her "The poor duckling, will never come out _alive._ "

Upon hearing that, Gurgi leaped clear over the heads of Fflewddur and Eilonwy and into the arms of Taran with a terrified yelp before Fflewddur took a step forward.

"N-na, eh, now look here madam," the old Bard started, trying to appear firm considering what his young friend had to give up to get the cauldron. "Don't forget we had an agreement!"

"Yes! you said we could have the Cauldron!" the princess said, putting her hands on her hips angrily.

"Of course we said you could have the cauldron," Orgoch began with that grotesque, witchy grin. "It's not _our_ fault you can't do anything with it!"

"This is a load of bull! You knew exactly what we wanted to do with it and you intentionally withheld important, need-to-know information!" Toony yelled up at the clouds at they suddenly began flashing with light from within; Even though she already knew that it was going to turn out this way, she was still angry over them making such a bad deal! "How dare you scam us like this!"

"Goodbye goslings," came Orddus' farewell from within the thundering cloud, ignoring Maries' outburst. "Remember, we _always_ keep a bargain!"

And with that, the eight travelers just watched as the cloud rolled away from them through the sky, the laughter of Orddu ringing in their ears before it disappeared completely and left them all alone without any idea of what to do next...

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 **Wow, 9,204 words on this chapter...holy muffins I think that's the most I've ever written!*faints*  
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 **well, I guess that's just more for you to read X3 if you guys happen to see any spelling errors in here, feel free to let me know so I can correct them**


	17. Fearful Denial, Part 4

**Holy muffins! I totally forgot to post this chapter up after I finished it! Bad Toony!*slaps hand* shame on you for forgetting! DX DX  
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 **So sorry about that!**

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 _Chapter 17: Fearful Denial, Part 4_

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"That poor boy, he's completely given up on himself..." Marie stated after a while of picking up sticks and thin, dry limbs from dead trees.

For hours after they had traded Tarans' sword for the black cauldron, no one had a single clue of what to do next. They couldn't destroy the stupid thing, and asking someone to climb inside was completely out of the question; So, in the marsh they sat, an ancient weapon in in the palm of their hands and only one thought in each of their minds...now what?

Taran had totally shut down after the witches left...he led them out here with one goal, to find the black cauldron and destroy it so that the horned king would never use it to destroy the world only to end up stuck with it without a new plan of action; Maybe they would have had a _chance_ if he only had his sword, but because of his own ignorance, it was gone forever.

So there they were, sitting around the fire they had made as the day soon drifted into night and essentially sitting on their hands in a somber silence until Marie had her fill of it and offered to go and gather more firewood to which Toony and her fluffballs went to help her with.

"Yeah, I hate seeing him like this." Toony agreed as she held up the bundle of wood she held to let Cheo and Hiromi add to it with sticks they found.

"Well, maybe you can do somethin' about it." Her guide suggested. "You could to try and help him out and see if we can get another diamond to start glowing."

" I'm not so sure... Eilonwy's the one who brings him out of this funk at this point." Toony told her with a light shake of her head. "I'm sure you've noticed that they like each other, so I don't want to get in the way of that."

"You know this ain't the time to be playing the part of a matchmaker, right?" Marie said.

It was all fine and good that Toony wanted to two teens to get closer, lord knew that even she thought it was incredibly sweet to see when they would look at each other with those bashful gazes and shy smiles; But now matter how cute it was, she didn't want it to be something that interfered with Toonys' judgement.

"I-eh...it's _more_ than that." the fox eared young woman said, her ears laid back a bit as she tried to figure out how to explain this weird feeling she had. "I don't know, something just feels so _off_ this time...I can't really explain it."

"Well, you'll figure it out soon enough." Marie said with a shrug of her shoulders as she finally thought that they had gathered enough wood. "I whole heartedly believe that you can."

Toony frowned a little, she was a bit more doubtful of that since she _still_ didn't even know what she was supposed to 'figure out', but she appreciated Maries' faith in her nonetheless.

Though as they started back on the path towards their camp, they stopped in their tracks when a sudden roar filled the air, and through the tops of the trees, they could just make out the two flying figures of the Horned Kings' Gwythaints, roaring as they circled directly over the area where they had left Taran and the others!

Without wasting a moment, the two women dropped their bundles of wood and hurried back to the camp sight, but they stayed within the shelter of the forest as they saw a band of the Horned Kings shoulders hooting and hollering upon finding their escaped prisoners as a handful of them were taking hold of the black cauldron and the others tied their friends wrists behind their backs; And once they were all securely bond in rope, the soldiers began pushing them along with their bounty back to their dark masters castle. One even pushed Taran forward so roughly that he fell face first to the ground that earned dozens of cruel laughter before he was yanked back up to his feet and forced to keep moving.

Upon seeing that, Toony gave a growl as her tail bristled before she started towards them with fire smouldering in her eyes.

"Hey! Hold on!" came Maries' voice as she latched onto Toonys' wrist to stop her and pulled her back down behind some bushes as the commotion made a couple soldiers look in their direction; Luckily, they didn't bother to check it out as they already had their prize at hand and continued on.

"We can't let them get away!" Toony stated urgently once they went off further into the distance. " We have to stop them!"

"And _then_ what?!" Marie demanded in a low voice. " There's two of us and _more_ then a dozen of them; And not only are they bigger, stronger _and_ meaner, they have weapons too!"

"Just what do you think you'll be able to do besides get yourself killed?!"

Toony huffed in frustration, but she knew that her guide was right...the only thing they would end up doing is get captured as well, and that wouldn't be any help at all.

"Look, I might have an idea, but you have to be patient and _listen_ , okay?" Marie told her. "I have something back at the Phoenix, if we can get to it without being spotted, _then_ we can see if we can try and help them."

"Can you wait until then?"

Toony was a bit confused about what she meant, but after a second, she nodded in agreement and looked back as the taunts and jeers from the Horned Kings' goons began to fade. But as seemed safe enough for the two women and fluffballs to follow after them, Toonys' ears suddenly caught something...

 ** _...coward..._**

" _E_ _xcuse_ me?!" Toony asked, a look of shock on her face while she turned back to face her guide as the word was said from behind her. " _You're_ the one who stopped me!"

"What?" Marie asked, thoroughly confused at what Toony had said. "I didn't say anything."

"Yes you did, just a second ago!" Toony insisted. " You called me a-"

 ** _...you're so useless..._**

This time, Toony saw that it really wasn't Marie as she began to look around to see where it was coming from.

 ** _...you just let them get taken away!_**

It was so faint, like a bunch a voices were hissing and whispering in sync with each other, Toony had to strain her ears to really hear; And while she could still hear them, they suddenly sounded so garbled now, as though they were talking underwater.

But as she was going to try and listen to them further, a loud _Snap!_ to her left ahead of them immediately made her whip her head over to see a figure striding through the forest several feet away from them.

From the way that they carried themselves, it had to have been a woman, dressed from head to toe in a flowing black dress and hooded cape that nearly made her invisible in darkness of the night.

She couldn't see her whole face, just her jaw and a bit of her nose since her hood hung so low over her eyes, but she did manage to make out that she had pale, almost glowing white skin and bright red lips.

Hey! _You!_ " she yelled, pointing at the woman who slightly turned her head in Toony's direction, acknowledging that she clearly heard her before she suddenly took off across the ground with an astonishing speed.

"Hey stop!" Toony cried, running after her as fast as her legs would carry her. "Come back here!"

"Toony?!" Marie yelled in surprise as she, Cheo and Hiromi raced after the fox tailed woman.

Faster and faster, Toony pushed herself to catch up with the woman in black, trying to duck under low hanging limbs and ignoring that slaps she would get across her arms, legs and face as she ran through the twigs and bushes of the forest; Trying her best to keep the stranger in sight until she suddenly screeched to a halt as she ran into a small, open glade competently alone. She whirled around, searching through the trees and listening for the sound of movement that would get her back on the right track, but there was nothing to find...

It was like the woman had just _vanished_ into thin air.

It was then she felt an unexpectedly sharp tug on her left wrist, making her gasp because she thought it was that strange woman at first; though to her surprise, no one was there, not a single soul in sight no matter where she looked just as Marie and her fluffballs had finally caught up.

"What's going on?" Marie demanded, panting hard after the run "What were you chasing?"

"You mean you didn't see her?" Toony asked, out of breath as well.

"See who?" Cheo asked. " You just ran away, Toony."

"The...the woman in the black dress!" the fox eared woman stated. "Sure, she was probably hard to see in the dark, but you had to have seen her!"

But at the shake of their heads, Toony stepped back in surprise...had she imagined it? It was possible, it had been a while since any of them had a proper rest, and with their friends getting captured and trying to come up with a plan to rescue them, maybe her eyes were just playing tricks on her...

' _Sniff._ '

Her ears twitched at the sniffling sounds, but she didn't want to call on it if she was just hearing things again. Though as it continued, she was thankful that Marie and Cheo and Hiromi finally started to react to them.

"Alright, _that_ I can hear." Marie stated. "It sounds like someone's crying."

Looking around to find out where the noise was coming from, and when Toony parted the leave of a tall, thick bush, there was the source sitting all by his lonesome in the middle the ground as he cried.

"Gurgi?" Toony asked walking over to the furry little wood troll, surprised to see him here as she would have thought by now that he was following after the Horned Kings' soldiers after they had taken Taran, Eilonwy and Fflewddur away; But Gurgi didn't even raise his head to meet her gaze as she knelt down beside him.

"Master and his friends captured..." Gurgi finally answered, completely miserable as he picked at the ground with a paw and held his knees to his chest with the other.

"Gurgi run away again and now master and his friends will die." the little fuzzy troll added, still refusing to look her in the eyes. " Gurgi wish he was bold and brave like master, but...he just big, stinky coward!"

He suddenly raised his arms up started pounding his little fists on the top of his head with an alarming force Toony never expected from something so small.

"Hey, don't do that!" Toony said, quickly grabbing his paws and stopping him. "You'll hurt yourself!"

"Yes!" he said with another sniff. "Gurgi _deserves_ smackings and whackings because he's no good!"

He half heartedly tried to pull out of Toonys' grasp, to which she didn't in case he would try hitting himself again, but as quickly as he started, he gave up and hung his head before he began to speak again.

"He steals and lies, and too small and scared to help master...to help _anyone._ " he sobbed. "Gurgi not brave or bold, just no good! No good at all!"

"Oh Gurgi, that's not true, " Toony said. " I _know_ that there's courage in you, deep down inside, you just haven't found it yet, that's all."

"No! Gurgi not brave, Gurgi always be scared!" he wailed before he fell into Toony's arms and buried his face in her middle. "He _never_ change, never _ever!_ "

At first, Toony could only stroke a hand along his back comfortingly as he continued to cry, clutching at her as though he were afraid that she would get taken away as well before she looked up from the heart breaking scene to Marie as her guide also looked upon him with pity. She may not have cared for the strange little creature all that much, but she still felt sorry that he was so upset...

"Gurgi, there isn't a person on this earth that isn't afraid of _something_." she said softly as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Anyone who says they aren't, well...they're either lying or something's just not right in their head."

"Even the bravest people, who do the the most courageous and incredible things, ultimately do them _because_ they're afraid."

At that, Gurgi slowly looked up at her in confusion.

" But... when people scared, they run away!" he stated.

"Well, that's true, most people run when they're scared..." Toony said before a smile came across her lips. "But that's because they sometimes forget to use the _secret_ to not letting their fear stop them."

"Secret? What secret?!" Gurgi asked, thoroughly interested in that bit of news as he tugged on her sleeves urgently. "Tell Gurgi secret!"

"The secret is our loved ones, Gurgi." Toony told him. "Brave people face their fears for what they know is right, no matter how scared they might be, but I like to think the bravest people face their fears for those they care so much more than themselves."

"And you care about Taran and the others, right?"

Gurgi look down at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck And although he had a rather rocky relationship with most of their group, with the exception of Eilonwy and Toony, they still let him stay with them. Even after they found Hen Wen safe and sound with the fair folk, they never once tried to chase him off.

Taran even began to grow a little kinder to him the longer he stayed...

" Gurgi only remembers being alone, always hiding, always hungry, always scared, no one ever like him." He began. " But pretty princess so kind to him and Toony call him cute! And old man give Gurgi hug earlier! Never hugged before, feel nice!"

And as he wrapped his arms around himself with a big happy grin, it made Toony smile. That seemed to explain why he gave Fflewddur that big kiss in the movie, but he then lost his cheerful expression and he looked down at his paws.

"And master...master Gurgi's first friend ever, want to be with him always..."

"And how do you feel knowing that your friends are being held prisoner by bad people?" Toony asked. "You don't just feel scared, do you?"

"No, Gurgi feel mad, too! Evil men so mean to master and his friends! They hurt them some!" Gurgi said as he actually bared his little teeth and let out a growl of anger. It surprised Toony a bit to see this different side of Gurgi, but it also made her feel proud of him and she reached over and pulled him back into a tight hug.

"You see? There _is_ courage in you, Gurgi, and your friends help you bring it to light, so don't deny it anymore." She said as Gurgi gazed up at her. "Now...do you think you can be bold and brave enough to help us save them?"

Gurgi looked a bit unsure at first, but after a while, a determined expression appeared on his furry features and he gave a firm nod before hopping to his feet.

"We go back to evil castle! Free master and friends, then everything be better!" he stated in a firm voice before he boldly began to lead the way towards the castle with Toony, Marie, Cheo and Hiromi following after him without hesitation.

But as he said that, Toony slowly lost her smile and couldn't help but look at the ground away from him when she knew what it would _cost_ to make everything better...

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It was rather hard following after the soldiers as Toony, her fluffballs and Marie could hardly see an inch in front of their faces after the night seemed to have grown even darker without a fire to light their way, but with Gurgis' help in keeping track of the very good trail left by the many feet of large and heavy men, they managed to make it back to the dark fortress without any problems or set backs.

Marie instructed them to wait for her as they reached the narrow path that lead right to the front gates of the terrifying place they had run away from only a couple days before while she went searching for the landmark she left to find the Phoenix.

And as they waited for her to bring out whatever it was she was looking for, Toony felt goosebumps as she stared at the castle. She had hoped that they would never have to return after their last...'experience', but they really didn't have any choice since Taran and they others were trapped in there.

But her gaze was soon brought down to Gurgi, who was pacing around a bit and looking back and forth between her and the castle, like he wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how.

"What's wrong, Gurgi?" Toony asked as she knelt down next to him.

"Um...uh..." the fuzzy troll started, again looking back and forth between the castle and herself with that scared and worried look. But when he settled his gaze back on her and looked into her eyes for a moment, he took in a deep breath and nodded to himself.

"Toony stay here!" he finally said. " Gurgi go in evil castle and save his friends!"

" _What?_ " Toony questioned, a look of shock on her face. "But, Gurgi, that's-"

"Gurgi little, he can hide better than _anyone_." the fuzzy little troll explained before she could get another word in. " And he can run very fast so no one will catch him!"

He placed his paws on Toonys' knees, looking up at her with an imploring gaze.

"Gurgi loves Toony too, don't want her hurt, want her safe!" He said, wrapping his little arms tightly around her middle. "Gurgi promise to be bold and brave if Toony stays!"

And with that, he quickly let her go and scampered off towards the castle before she could even think to do anything to stop him.

"Wait!" Toony cried as she got back up to her feet. " You don't understand!"

But he never even looked back as he ran along all fours and disappeared over the side of the land bridge to find a safer way to slip inside the castle without detection.

He had only been gone for about twenty minuets, but to Toony, it felt like hours as she paced back and forth, running her hands through her hair and sighing in frustration as she knew what was going to be coming, what would happen to her little friend and she was just standing out here doing nothing to help!

What was taking Marie so long getting the...the _thing_ she was getting?!

But after a few moments, her ears began to pick up something...

The clanking of metal and the hair rising sound of sharp steel dragging along stone as well as haphazard shuffling of many feet. And as she peered along to the end of the path, her eyes widened and her skin paled to see the Horned Kings' beloved army of the undead marching through the gates of the castle to reek havoc and terror through the land their master do ordered.

Seeing them, she knew what Taran and the others must have been doing...Gurgi would have found them by now and started untying them, and Taran would attempt to sacrifice himself in order to stop the spell the evil king placed on his horrendous army.

But as the scene where Gurgi stops him by taking his place flashed in her mind, Toony no longer cared that everything would end up okay by the end. She didn't care that the Horned King would die by the weapon he obsessed over _or_ that Taran would exchange the black cauldron for Gurgis' return when they three witches returned, all she could think about was getting in there, find her friends and find some _other_ way to stop this where Gurgi wouldn't have to lose his life!

"That's it! I'm done waiting around!" she finally stated. She didn't exactly know how she would do that, considering that the zombie squad was still trudging along towards her. But if she had to swim around them in a wide berth in nasty mote water to find a way inside to do it, then so be it, but she wasn't just going to stand around like this anymore!

"What?!" The fluffballs cried as Cheo raced after Toony while Hiromi hurried to the Cosmic Phoenix to get Marie.

"No Toony! Don't go in there!" Cheo cried as he made Toony come to a stop as he hovered before her face. " Something bad might happen to you!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to get in there!" Toony explained as she tried to move around him, but the little fluffball only flittered back and forth, effectively blocking her from advancing. "Cheo! _Come on!_ "

"You better hold your horses!" came Marie's loud voice as Toony felt a hand grab her wrist and she looked around to see Marie glaring at her with wide, angry eyes. " I will be struck down right where I stand before I _ever_ let you do somethin' so stupid!"

"Marie, let go!" the fox eared woman ordered in frustration, trying to pull her arm free, there was no way she was going to be stopped this time! " They need our help!"

"We _will_ help them, you have to trust me and wait just a little longer!" Marie said firmly. " Come back to the boat and we'll-"

But before the dark haired woman could say anything else, the four of them gasped as the blue diamond on the bangle suddenly flashed with a bright, blinding light; And as Toony and Marie looked up into each others eyes, neither of them had to voice what that meant...

"But... _no!_ What about our friends?!" Toony demanded, as she looked back at the castle, the skeleton horde growing ever closer to them. " We can't leave, not _now!_ Not when they're still in there!"

Marie knew how hard this must have been for Toony, but now that they were able to move on, they couldn't afford to be sentimental, especially when neither of them could say for sure that going in there end would helping their Prydain friends or hurting them in the long run if they didn't make it out in time.

"Didn't you tell me that this whole castle will be coming down soon? That they would all get out okay just before?" Marie asked as she tried to pull her charge back towards their vessel.

Deep down, Toony knew that Marie was right, and even though that feeling came back to her, the same feeling that allowed her the leave Aurora with confidence that she would be just fine without her there, Toony still dug her heels into the gravel and looked back at the doomed fortress; How could she just go like this without staying to make _absolute_ sure?

"No," Toony answered. " I _can't_ -"

" _Look. at. me!_ " Marie ordered firmly, grabbing Toony's shoulders and giving her a quick shake as they met each others gaze."They will be fine, all of them will!"

"But we have to go _now!_ "

" _Please_ , Toony..." Hiromi began, making the fox eared woman look over to see both of her fluffballs catty lips trembling a bit. " Don't go in there!"

the redheaded young woman found that she was speechless, torn between the decisions to either leave with Marie and her fluffballs, or run off before they could stop her and find a way around the horde of skeleton soldiers to get in the castle; But before she could settle on either, she suddenly noticed that the seemingly endless line of the undead began to slow; And her hand flew over her mouth and tears dotted her eyes as the green smog that granted them mobility suddenly turned red, and one by one, every skeleton returned to their former, lifeless state.

"...Oh Gurgi." Toony whispered with a choked sob.

"Toony, please, you _know_ he'll be okay..." Marie told her gently.

And through her tears, Toony finally nodded, allowing Marie to pull her back towards the Phoenix. And once Cheo and Hiromi where given pixie dust to sprinkle along the boat, they all gave a gasp as they soon began to hear a rumble coming from the castle, and soon, the tall stone towers began to shake and from an unknown force.

Pretty soon, the very earth started to rattle, swishing the waves under the boat so much that Toony and Marie had to hold on before the fluffballs wasted no more time to spread the pixie dust along the Phoenix.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for their vessel to finally take to the air, but they weren't far enough away from castle when the whole thing finally blew it's top with an inferno of flames with a loud, soul shuddering blast, leaving everyone with very little time as the shock wave filled their sail and thrust them higher into the sky.

They were only lucky that Marie had managed to hold it steady and keep the whole thing from rolling over in mid-air. _That_ would have been a fun way to meet their doom...

Toony had fallen to the floor of the deck after the explosion, but once the Phoenix was finally still, she quickly got up to her feet and looked over the rail at the smoking ruins they were leaving behind; They had been pushed quite a ways, but in the distance, she still could just barley make out the tiny figures of Taran, Eilonwy and Fflewddur slowly drifting away from where the castle once stood on an overturned row boat...

But there was no sign of Gurgi anywhere with them as they watched what was left of the old fortress crumble and sink beneath the water.

Her heart sank as they grew further and further from sight...not knowing if they could see them up here, or if they even wondered where they were after getting captured by the Horned King and taken back to his castle...but still she wished that she could let them know just how _sorry_ she was.

And that things couldn't have ended in a better way for _all_ of them...

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It seemed like hours had gone by since they left the land of Prydain behind them and returned to the ties to follow the new star. Toony hardly spoke a word to any of her friends as she sat at the island table in the kitchen while they in turn had no idea what they could do to help her as she obviously felt so distraught over what happened.

Cheo and Hiromi tried to stay close to their creator, nuzzling and speaking to her softly; and even though she'd run her fingers through their fur and spoke to them as well... it still only brought her very little comfort.

Marie took this time and busied herself at the stove to cook dinner, they hadn't had a proper meal in days, and the boat would be fine without a captain to guide it for a short while as long as she took care not to spend _too_ much time away from the helm; So she settled on the quick and easy recipe of spaghetti with makeshift garlic bread she made out of toast. It was a dish that happened to be one of Toonys' favorites, but as her meal was set before her, she found that she didn't have much of an appetite and just picked at her food with her fork.

Marie noticed immediately that her charge wasn't eating, so did Cheo and Hiromi as they gazed up at their creator with sad eyes. Knowing full well the reason that was bothering her, but unable to think of anything the could say to say to make her feel better.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Marie finally asked as gently as she could, making Toony looked up for only a second before her eyes fell back on her plate.

"I don't know." She answered softly. "I mean, it's okay, right? Because I know that Gurgi comes back and everything turns out okay in the end...I guess more upset that I didn't get to say goodbye."

"You don't think they'll be mad at us for just... _leaving_ like that, do you?"

Marie took in a deep breath, leaning forward a bit to make sure that Toony was looking at her.

"It's hard to say for sure Toony, but I like to think they would understand." she said with upmost sincerity. "Sometimes...people just don't have the luxury to wait in order say their farewells."

"And considering what would be at stake..." she added, pointing to the bangle, Yen Sids' warning about the time limit coming back to mind. "It would be better not to risk anything, don't you think?"

Toony was only able to give a half hearted nod of her head, but from the somber expression on her face, Marie knew that really wasn't what she wanted to hear even though it was the truth.

"You have such a big heart, Toony, it's one of the things I admire most about you." Marie said, reaching across the table and placing a comforting hand on Toonys' forearm. "But you can't allow yourself to be so soft all time and let it eat away at you afterwards, _especially_ when the same thing is likely to happen again."

"Not everything can have an ideal ending, and when the time comes, you have to know when to make a tough decision...and then allow yourself to move on from it."

"I know...but I still don't like it." Toony said with a sigh as she finally picked up her fork and spun a large bundle of noodles around the prongs before lifting it up and taking a big bite; Though after a few moments of just quietly eating her meal like she usually did, Marie suddenly slapped her palms on the table, startling the fox eared woman and making her look up to see her guide with a _very_ annoyed expression on her face.

"That is _not_ how you eat spaghetti!" She stated in obviously peeved tone before she grabbed the spoon Toony had intentionally ignored and put it in her free hand. "Honestly, what'dya think the spoon's there for?! Decoration?!"

For a few seconds Toony only stared at her with wide, surprised eyes, and after she blinked a couple of time, she suddenly exploded with laughter. And not just a few snickers or giggles, but full blown, side splitting howls where she was laughing so hard, she would have fallen over if she wasn't holding on to the side of the table.

All the while, Marie, Cheo and Hiromi only watched her in complete and total confusion.

"What's so funny?" Marie demanded as Toony tried to get a hold of herself.

" It's nothing, just... my grandmother told me the same thing once." the red headed woman gasped out, finally starting to feel a bit better now as she wiped at the mists that were forming in her eyes from laughing so hard. "It was the funniest thing, I guess she never really saw how I ate it until I was sitting right in front of her at the restaurant. I'm sorry for laughing, it was just so funny to hear someone else make such a big deal over it."

"I was always taught that good table manners are an important part of life!" Marie said. "It's better to be a classy diner than a messy slob at the dinner table in my opinion, no matter _where_ you are."

Toony only let out a giggle, but gave a nod of her head as she went back to eating her dinner, using the spoon to appease Maire and sharing the meal with Cheo and Hiromi who were both over joyed to see her back in better spirits. Though once just as they began to up their meal, Toony suddenly remembered something...

"So, what were you talking about before?" she asked her dark haired companion. " That uh, 'extra precaution' thing?"

"Oh yeah!" Marie exclaimed as she quickly wiped her lips with her tissue and got up from her seat, motioning for Toony and the fluffballs to follow her to her bed on the bottom level of the cabin.

She knelt down before a small chest that rested at the foot of the bed, and normally, Marie kept her little rest area very tidy, but there was a quilt and a few items of clothing and books that were strewn across the floor and the mattress as a result of trying to find something before she had to drop everything when Hiromi came flying in and telling her that Toony was trying to run inside the castle.

"This is what was taking me so long," Marie started as she pulled out a tiny key from her pocket, a light blush appearing on her olive cheeks. "I was lookin' everywhere except the place I left it...I'm worse than a headless chicken when I'm running trying to find something under pressure."

Toony gave a nod in understanding as she would get the very same way sometimes, but now that Marie wasn't in such a rush, she took her time opening the chest and moving around extra blankets and sheets before she finally pulled out a large black box.

"Before, I was really hoping we wouldn't have to use this, but after what happened back there in Prydain, it'll be better if we don't take anymore chances..." Marie explained before she then opened the lid and took out a medium sized, smooth glass orb that was filled with a shimmering pink mist. "Yen Sid made this for you just in case things started to get a little tough."

"What does it do?" Toony asked, looking at the orb wondrously.

"It'll summon a protector to join us on our journey and help you when you're in trouble." her guide told her, holding it out for Toony to take. " A hero, or someone that you view as such, that you hold in great value to your heart."

"So, it'll pick _anyone?_ " the fox eared young woman asked in surprise, running her hand over the orb while Cheo and Hiromi made faces with their reflections. "Wow, I wonder who it'll be..."

"Who knows, it's could be _anyone_ , and it's not limited to just Disney." Marie told her with a shrug of her shoulders. "It can very well be any hero from any movie or show that you've seen since you were small."

" _Thaaat_ might be a problem, then..." Toony began, looking a little concerned. " I have a bunch of heroes near and dear to me, but my _biggest_ hero is a super awesome Cybertronian robot that can transform into a semi truck."

"And as cool as it would be to have him as my protector, there would seriously be no room for him at all on this boat."

"Well, we'll just have to hope the one that's picked is a little more travel sized." Marie said, though she kind of seemed a bit worried by that little piece of information as well.

"So, how does it work?" the fox eared woman asked as she looked around for a button or something, but every inch of it was glass.

"Just call out to them." her guide explained. "If they'll listen, then they'll come."

"Um...hello out there?" Toony began, shaking the glowing orb slightly. "Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3..."

Then she suddenly paused and gave a playful smile before she suddenly lifted it into the air and put a hand over her ear as though she was wearing a large pair of headphones. "Hello, hello, _hello_ all you lovely people tuning in, Toony-Tornado here, your foxy hostess with the mostess broadcasting to you live from the Cosmic Phoenix; calling to any and all of my lovely heroes to please step forward and help us out!"

...but nothing happened.

"Wow, if I actually did have a radio channel, I would be a little concerned..."

"You know, you have to be a bit more serious about this if you want it to work." Marie said, though she still grinned in mild amusement at how silly that was. " Try again, but be more _sincere._ "

Toony took in a deep breath before letting it all out in a slow sigh as she looked back down at the glowing sphere in her hands, closing her eyes as she tried to concentrate.

Before long, she suddenly began to feel a soft, rhythmical pulse coming from it, and a gentle humming soon reached her sensitive ears; So taking that as a sign, she spoke out again...

"If there's anyone out there who can hear my voice right now, anyone at all... then please, find it in your heart to lend us your strength..." Toony whispered softly, hugging the orb close to her as she rested her cheek on its smooth, cool surface. "Help us in this journey so I can find my way back home."

"Please help me."

"..."

"..."

"Huh, still nothing." Toony commented, a little let down by the whole thing.

"Well...I guess even a powerful sorcerer can have duds every once in a while."Marie said, looking just as disappointed. "We'll just have to try and be extra careful."

"And by 'we', you actually mean _me_ , right?" Toony asked with a dry tone.

" J'yep, but if it make you feel better, you still have my promise to use if you need it." Marie agree, patting Toony's knee before she stood up, a tired yawn escaping her lips before. " _Goodness_ , I'm gonna need to make me some _strong_ coffee before I head back up."

" Even though it didn't work, we still have a mission to continue."

Toony looked down at the orb for a moment longer, but as Marie made to go back to the kitchen, she put it back in it's box and stood to her feet before stopping her.

"You know what, why don't you let me do it this time?" Toony asked.

Marie looked at her in surprise after hearing her offer. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you haven't gotten a decent nights rest since before we left Aurora's world, and I'm not sleepy yet." The red headed woman explained as her tail flicked to the side. "All I have to do is make sure we keep on course and avoid any flying rocks or something, right? I think I can do it okay."

Marie thought about it some, she wasn't totally opposed to the idea because she really _hadn't_ slept all that well in a while, but she didn't want to leave her charge all on her own.

"Don't worry Marie, me and Romi will stay up with her, too!" Cheo assured as he seemed to guess what she was thinking.

"And if we see trouble, we'll come tell you right away!" Hiromi promised with an adorably sincere smile.

"Oh...alright." the dark haired woman finally agreed, another big yawn escaping her her before she started towards her bed. "Just...just call if you need any help."

"I will." Toony said, smiling as Marie fell onto her bed, with all of her cloths on before she was out like a light. Toony smile and shook her head as she remembered how her guide had scolded her when she slept in her cloths the first night, but she just decided to let it go this once and took hold of the quilt before she gently covered Marie up with it; And with the box in her hand, the fox eared woman quietly ushered her fluffballs out of the cabin and on deck where she led the way up to the helm.

Though before she took went to the wheel, she placed the black box down, opening the lid and looking down at the glittering orb thoughtfully before she shrugged her shoulders, put it back in its box and got up to steer the Phoenix as she, Cheo and Hiromi stared out across the swirling ties to the blue star that shone like a bright beacon.

But while they kept their eyes on the path ahead, they never noticed that a dark figure suddenly appeared within the smoke of the orb, looking at them with a piercing, contemplative gaze before it disappeared from view...

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 **Sorry again for the late post guys, I'll try and remember to post new chapters on _both_ sights in the future ^^; I hope you enjoyed it!  
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 **And if you see any spelling errors or anything else, be sure to let me know about them so I can correct them :D:D:D**


	18. A Mysterious Enemy and a New Ally

**Man, I am so sorry that this took me so long guys! I was in a bit of a pinch trying to figure out how to write this chapter and I'm just terrible! DX  
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 **But I hope you enjoy it regardless!  
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 _Chapter 18: A Mysterious Enemy and a New Ally._

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During the time she was steering the Phoenix, Toony decided that she needed to volunteer to do it more often. It was relaxing, the breeze caressing her face and blowing through her hair, and the blue star shined so brightly that she wouldn't have any problem finding her way through the pastel ties as they lazily swirled around her, she felt very at ease out here.

And having Cheo and Hiromi with her was wonderful too. Since this was the first time they had been alone together where they weren't sleeping, searching for something or trying to survive mortal peril, they were very curious about her life at home. And Toony was all too happy to answer any questions they had about her family, where she grew up, and they loved all the silly stories Toony had to share with them.

"...so mawmaw's driving, right? And she doesn't even realize that she's speeding." Toony continued, telling her fluffballs one of her favorite memories about her grandmother. "And let me tell you, I had _never_ heard her let out a curse so loud in my life then she did when a police officer passing in the other lane flashed his lights and start making a U-turn in the middle of the road."

"What happened next?" Cheo asked with a large smile, eager to hear more. "Did she try and drive away?"

"No, she knew she was in the wrong for not paying attention to how fast she was going, so she pulled in the nearest parking lot and we waited for him to arrive with her license and registration ready." Toony told him "We waited and waited, but he never showed up."

"We were in the middle of a very snowy winter that year, so the snow was piled up really high; he must have just lost sight of us because we happened to pull into a parking lot that had snow berms as tall as her little car on all sides."

"So he couldn't find you at all?" Hiromi asked.

"We waited a bit longer before she decided to head back on the road, but imagine my total surprise when she went out another exit and took the back way home!" Toony said, snickering a little before she continued. " _'Mawmaw!'_ I started, completely shocked, but she just looked me in the eye and said, _'honey, if it wasn't so important that I get back to the house right now, I would track that officer down and get my ticket from him myself!_ '"

"Then, she threatened to paint my back porch red if she found out I ever avoided the law like that."

The three of them started to laugh and giggle loudly

"She was such a prim and proper person, no nonsense and mostly by the book, so I only have a handful of funny stories about her." Toony said after they had calmed down, a soft expression on her face as other fond memories went through her mind. "But she had her moments, it was really nice when she'd act silly or just join in the fun when she finally loosened up."

"And when she'd get into situations like avoiding that ticket, holy muffins it was the funniest thing ever!"

"You know, I don't think you're grandmother would be too happy that you're sharing such embarrassing stories about her..." came a voice from behind that made them all look back to see Marie walking up the steps to the upper deck with her arms crossed tightly over her chest and a disapproving expression upon her face.

"I know _I_ sure wouldn't!"

"Well, probably, my mawmaw's reputation as a law abiding citizen was very important to her." Toony agreed with a small, sad smile as she turned back to the helm. "But... I really don't think she'd mind me telling the story all _that_ much now."

"She's uh... not with us anymore."

At that, Marie's arms slowly uncrossed as she, Cheo and Hiromi grew quiet.

" I'm...very sorry to hear that." the dark haired woman began, rather awkwardly as she wasn't completely sure what to say. "Were, uh, were the two of you close?"

"That depends, did you ever have a best friend you could share _everything_ about yourself with?" Toony asked, her shoulders sagging a little as she continued to steer the Phoenix. "Mawmaw was...an amazing person, she was stern, but she was the glue that held our whole family together, she was the voice of reason whenever there was a problem, she was the _best_ cook in the entire universe and even if she was busy, she never failed to make time for people she cared about."

" She was _always_ there for me when I needed her most, even when didn't."

Cheo and Hiromi placed their little paws on her knuckles while looking up at her with sad eyes

" You know it...it was the night of the one year anniversary when I was brought out here."

"I see." Marie stated softly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm sorry again, Toony, is it still hard for you?"

"...not as much as it was." Toony finally answered after a few moments before flashing a big smile over her shoulder to her guide. " Like I said, it's been a year, so it's about time to be moved on, right? She would have wanted that anyway. "

"And being on an adventure like this keeps me from thinking about it too much, so that's a plus."

Marie was hesitant to return her smile, even after a year, loss was still a difficult thing to go through...

"Hey, you wanna hear about the time when I blew my nose so hard, mawmaw almost grounded me because she thought I was playing around with her brand new electric can opener?" the fox eared young woman suddenly asked.

" _No_ I would not." Marie said as Toony managed to get a small grin out of her that time before she nudged her goofy charge out of the way and took the helm. "I've got steerin' to do and it looks like we still got a good while before we make it to that star, so you go to bed and get some sleep."

Toony laughed as well, and while she wanted to protest, a big, long yawn suddenly escaped her lips as Cheo and Hiromi followed in suit.

A little shut eye was sounding heavenly right about now.

"Alright my little fluffers, it is beddie-bye time." Toony announced as walked over and picked up the black box that she had kept open during the time she had been steering the ship, looking down at the shiny glass orb that sat upon the cushioned inside for a moment before she closed the lid and gathered it up in her arms.

"How come you're keeping that orb with you all the time, Toony?" Hiromi asked curiously as she followed after her creator while she walked down the steps from the upper deck.

"Yeah, I thought it was broken or something." Cheo added, fluttering over to sit atop the velvety surface of the box.

"Well, I don't really know..." Toony answered truthfully. " I can't believe that a sorcerer as powerful as Yen Sid would give us something that's supposed to be useful only for it to fail after just one try."

"Maybe I have to keep it near me for a while, you know, to let the magic work and find a protector that's be more suitable for us."

" _Oh_ , maybe you're right!" Cheo said with an affirmative nod. "When are you gonna try again?"

"I'm not sure just yet, but I _am_ pretty tired..." Toony said, coming to a stop before the cabin door to cover her mouth when another yawn escaped her lips. "We'll figure all that out after we have a well deserved nap."

But just as she put her hand on the door knob to the cabin, the fox eared woman cried out when something suddenly rammed into the Phoenix from behind, making her fall forward and slapping against the door before she to her back on the deck floor, and she gasped er eyes when she suddenly realized that the glass orb was now sailing through the air.

"Cheo!"

" I got it! I got it!" the little fluffball chanted as flapped his little wings as fast as he could while Hiromi followed close behind him, keeping their eyes on the orb until they finally caught it in their paws.

Unfortunately, since they were both much smaller that the glass ball, they immediately went down with strained cries and fell upon the deck, making Toony flinch when she heard it make a loud 'clink!' on the wood and rolled along the floor floor; But when it finally came to a stop, there thankfully didn't appear to be any sort of blemish on it's smooth surface.

"Whew!" Cheo exclaimed in relief, only to let out startled cry shortly after when he and Hiromi were suddenly engulfed within this huge, dark... _mass_.

" _What?!_ " Toony exclaimed in worry as she watched whatever this strange stuff was as it seemed to spill over the side and on the deck. It was so big that it nearly engulfed the entire lower deck, and the way it moved, it looked like it was made out of smoke, but the color of it was so black, it looked like it was a thick, giant cloud of ink or slime floating through water.

"What's going on down there?!" Came Maire's yell before she appeared over the rail, her hazel eyes widening in shock as she saw the black mass as well. "What _is_ that?!"

But Toony didn't even have a chance to answer when it suddenly surged forward and rose over her like a tidal wave that was ready to wash over her.

"Look out!" the dark haired guide yelled, jumping down the the lower deck and shoving Toony out of the way of the rapidly advancing mass. She pulled out her dagger and sliced at it, but the area she attacked just part down the middle, avoiding the blade and wrapped around the surprised woman's wrist before, like Cheo and Hiromi, she was swallowed whole within the pitch black substance.

"Marie!" Toony cried, she started to get back to her feet, but she paused when she suddenly felt that there were eyes upon her; And turning her head, she saw that there was a woman standing silently off towards the back of the Phoenix...

It was that strange woman, the very same one she saw in Prydain. She was still dressed head to toe in that black dress that flowed elegantly in the breeze with a caped hood that was draped about her head.

Toony could finally see more of her face, but as she took a closer look, she suddenly realized it wasn't her real face at all! It was a milky white, smooth porcelain mask that had a faint red blush on it's cheeks, painted red lips that were set in a rather creepy smile and lavender eye shadow above the unsettling black eye holes that were looking right at her.

The woman just stood there, watching Toony in silence without the slightest notion that she wanted to avoid her the way she did before; _This_ time, it seemed like she had something to say.

But whatever it was, Toony had a feeling that it wasn't going to be about anything good...

Toony finally broke her gaze away from the stranger when something suddenly bumped against her ankle, and looking down, she saw that it was the orb; At some point, Cheo and Hiromi must have managed to push it out of the way before they got caught, and it somehow rolled right back to her.

Her eyes widened when she suddenly saw a figure flash within it, it was too dark and went by to fast for her to see what it was, but it had to be a sign that the protector was finally here!

So looking back to the woman, who still hadn't moved an inch from where she stood to the massive black mass that blocked the cabin door, Toony grabbed the orb and took off up the stairs to the upper deck as fast has her legs could carry her.

She still didn't know what she had to do yet, but still, she told herself to get away!

Though that plan seemed to be thrown out the window as Toony yelped in surprise when she felt something grab her around the ankle, making her fall and accidentally launch the glass orb high above her head before she fell hard onto her stomach. And picking herself up, Toony gasped in fear as she watched the delicate object sail through the air.

She was suddenly pulled back, and would have been dragged down the stairs if hadn't grabbed on to the railing in time. Though as she spared one look over her shoulder, she was _horrified_ to see what looked to be hands reaching through the writhing black mass.

There were already many clutching around her legs while others waved around with groping fingers as they tried to feel around for something to hold onto, pulling and tugging while she tried her hardest to keep a hold the rail as she looked back to the orb, utterly helpless to do anything but watch as it crashed upon the hard wood floor and crumbled to pieces.

"No!" Toony cried as the soft pink mist began to escape from what was left of the glass orb that once contained it. But that was all she could see when a hard yank finally made her loose her grip and she was dragged down the stairs and back to the lower deck.

Feeling all those hands about her, pulling at her cloths, yanking her hair and her tail, Toony gasped as a strong sensation of anger and absolute resentment cut right through to her core like a knife; It was enough to make her head swim with dizziness at the overwhelming negativity she felt, but when Toony suddenly saw two feet meet her vision, she looked up to see the woman in black silently staring down at her with that eternally grinning face.

But if the woman had something sinister in mind for Toony, she never had the chance to act it out when her head suddenly jerked upwards before she jumped back just as a ball of crackling green energy scorched the spot where she once stood.

"It seems like your presence here isn't a very welcome one." a smooth, almost monotone voice stated. "I highly suggest that you leave."

That resembled a large, bipedal red and black hedgehog with arms crossed over a white patch of fur on his chest rub with black, red and white gloves and gold rings around his wrists with matching hover shoes as his piercing ruby gaze glared down at the woman in black.

"No way!" Toony finally exclaimed in total shock. " _Shadow?!_ "

The black hedgehog only spared her a short glance before he let out a gruff 'Humph!' and he jumped from the upper deck and raised his right hand into the air before he quickly swung it back down and sent another barrage of powerful, spear like energy beams towards the woman.

" _Chaos Spear!_ "

But as she raised her own arms, the black mass that that held Toony down suddenly released her and zoomed over the strange woman to block Shadows attack, though it seemed to bubble and evaport as soon as it was touched.

A loud gasping sound snapped Toony out of her open mouthed stare to see the Shadow the Hedgehog actually _here_ on the Phoenix and she looked behind her to see that Marie and her fluffballs had been freed as well.

"Guys!" Toony exclaimed in relief and rushing to their side as they began to sit up. "Are you okay?!"

"I don't feel very good..." Hiromi whimpered while Toony gathered her and Cheo gently into her arms.

"My _God_ , that grabby mess of, of-it was like I was run over by a never ending train made up of every bad feeling I've ever felt since I've been alive!"Marie panted as she gave a shudder. "I thought I was gonna suffocate!"

The deck suddenly rattled and a loud crash brought their attention back to see that the woman in black was slouching against the rail of the Phoenix with very little of the strange inky black mass left after using it to defend herself from Shadows' attacks.

And although the bipedal hedgehog barley made to past her waist, he was still a very imposing figure as he glared at her with those chilling red eyes of his.

"If it's a fight you're looking for, I'm sure I've more than proofed to be a more challenging opponent." He told her, his voice still smooth and even despite their tussle. "Though the question you should be asking yourself is this..."

"Do you _really_ think you'll be able beat the ultimate life form?"

The woman still never said a word as she glared at Shadow for a moment before she turned her masked face back over to Toony. And even though she couldn't see the womans real eyes within the darkness of the mask, she could still sense bitterness and a hatred that sent a chill running up her spin when she realized that it was directed at her.

But to her surprise, Toony felt the same thing towards the woman as well...

Though the fox tailed woman quickly brushed it off, she _did_ just attack them without any reason, so yeah, maybe it wasn't all _that_ strange to be angry with this complete stranger comin g out of no where to pick fight totally unprovoked!

Toony just returned the glare and the two of them held it for a good few moments until the woman suddenly raised a hand before the swirling black mass completely engulfed her body and took to the air, disappearing from sight within the misty ties.

After everyone was sure that she was gone, Toony, Marie, Cheo and Hiromi all looked over to the newest addition to the Cosmic Phoenix as he still continued to stare at the spot that the enemy had disappeared, almost as he expected her to come flying back at any moment; Still a little awestruck that he was here, Toony spared a glance over to her guide, who only gave a small shrug of her shoulders and motioned with her hands for the fox tailed woman to go over and say something to him.

" So uh...I guess _you're_ my protector then?" Toony finally asked.

Shadow blinked before he finally looked away and gazed up at her with that seemingly permanent scowl on his face, his eyes moving up and down over Toony only once before he looked away with a scoff and crossed his arms.

"Apparently." he stated curtly. "In any event, you must be the 'hostess with the mostess'."

"Ah, so you heard that, huh?" Toony asked, her face turning red as the need to jump right off the side of the boat came to her.

"Every word." He answered. " _She who walks on fire ants._ "

Cheo and Hiromi covered their lips with their tiny paws as they watched Toony grow a shade redder at the embarrassing little title that an uncle of hers in Texas had given her after she unknowingly stood on a fire ant hill for five whole minuets while watching fire works over a lake when she seven; She hadn't wanted to miss the show, even when she started feeling like something was pinching her legs all over, and only once the pinching got as high as her knees and started burning did she finally look down to discover that her legs were completely covered in angry red ants.

That had been a "fun" night.

But since she had only told that story to Cheo and Hiromi when they were alone steering the ship, that meant that he must have been listening in on their entire conversation while he was still inside the orb... and heard lots of other goofy stories about messes that she had gotten herself into that she would have never wanted him to know.

"Right..." Toony started with a slight cough. "Well, then I guess this explains the late reply, what took you so long getting here?"

Shadow only gave another 'humph' and turned away from her to go stand at the rear of the Phoenix to stare out over the swirling pink and purple ties.

"You were _supposed_ to break the orb." the black and hedgehog told her without so much as sparing her another glance. " It's no fault of mine that you couldn't figure it out sooner."

And that was then end of that conversation as Toony felt she had already embarrassed herself enough and turned on her heels to walk up the steps to the upper deck with Marie close in tow while she looked at the red and black hedgehog with a skeptical gaze.

"Huh, well ain't he a cheerful one." the dark haired guide stated sarcastically. "You really think he's a hero?"

"He was picked, wasn't he?" Toony asked with a shrug.

" I picture heroes a little less moody than _that_. " Marie said as she took helm once again.

"Oh, don't hold it against him, his story is a...complicated one." Toony started with a weak chuckle. "But we'll stay here so you're not alone with him, if that's alright with you."

"Oh ya'll don't have to do that, he ain't nothing I can't handle." Marie assured. "Just go and get some sleep, alright?"

"Are you _kidding?_ After what just happened?" Toony asked, sharing a glance with her two fluffballs as they both shook their heads in agreement. " I think I'm all jazzed up for another day."

"Getting attacked by a crazy lady and a black blob of hands is _so_ much more effective than coffee!"

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 **Woot! Woot! Ladies and gentleman, let's give a big warm welcome to Shadow the Hedgehog, our newest addition to the Cosmic Phoenix family!* throws confetti in the air***

 **Shadow: No! No confetti! I'm an unwilling participant in this stupid story!**

 **Me: *throws a pillow on his head* Haha! He's kidding! Pay no attention guys!**

 **Shadow: Get off me!**

 **Me: *struggles to keep him down* Have a-a nice evening guys! _Whoa!_ I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	19. Of Dreams and Sorrow, Part 1

_**~Guess whooo!~**_

 **Did you guys miss me? Because I sure missed you!**

 **Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I just really needed to take a break from it and focus on some of my other stories. I still work on this one here and there, but ultimately, I need to work on being a bit more responsible as a writer and try and complete stories that I've had up for a while before I started working on this ^^;**

 **I hope to finish up and post at least two more chapters within the week before I go back to working on my TLK story, 'The Courage Within', but when this story goes back on pause, I'll try not to be so scatter brained and give you a heads up! XP  
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 **And before I let you go to read this chapter, I'd like to use this time to thank those who were kind enough to leave such lovely reviews..**

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 **S Danyal Allen:** Thank you so much for your interest in the story so far, and though it may take a while, you can bet that I'll continue working at it until it's completed X3

 **NatNicole:** Aww, thank you so, _so_ much for your kind reviews! *glomps you* I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story as it goes on!

 **Guest:** Wow, this has to be the sweetest review I've gotten for this story, hun, thank you for that! It makes me so happy to hear that you're able to enjoy it :D:D:D

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 **And thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this, I hope I'll continue to do a good job so you all can enjoy! :D:D:D  
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 _Chapter 19: Of Dreams and Sorrow, Part 1  
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"He doesn't talk a whole lot, does he?" Cheo asked Toony with a soft whisper as he and Hiromi stared curiously, but warily, at their silent new arrival from around Toonys' arm.

Shadow the Hedgehog.

Ever since he chased off the woman in black and that weird... _thing_ that was with her, he hadn't spoken another word to any of them or hardly even seemed to acknowledged that they were there as he sat at the back of the lower deck, his eyes closed and his arms crossed while Marie steered the Phoenix and Toony and her fluffballs leaned against the railing near the stairs.

"He's a little scary..." Hiromi commented in an even softer whisper as she clutched a pawful of Toonys' sweater nervously.

"I'm sure he just feels a little out of it right now." Toony assured them. " I mean, you guys remember how _I_ was when I woke up here, right? For the most part, I'd say he's taking this pretty well...maybe all he needs is some friendly conversation to help him open up?"

She realized how ridiculous that sounded, even to her, as she soon started down to walk over to him; Like she told Marie, Shadow was a complicated character...he was quiet, aloof and he had a hard time trusting others, even those who he would consider to be acquaintances if nothing else.

"Hey, I...I just realized that I never really thanked you for helping us before," Toony began hesitantly, but as friendly as she could while she took a seat beside him. "So, thank you, I can't even imagine what would have happened to me and my friends if you hadn't shown up when you did."

She wasn't all that surprised when Shadow didn't answer her, or make any kind of indication that he was even listening; Like she already figured, it would be a stretch to get this notoriously antisocial character to talk about... _anything_ , really. But he didn't tell her to beat it or push her off of the seat, so she decided to try again.

"So, how're you holding up?" Toony asked him. " Not everyday you whined up on an adventure like this, right? _Especially_ one where you gotta go jumping into action right on the spot."

Again, she got no notion from him that he was even listening to a word she had just said.

"Um...are you excited about where we're going?" Toony continued, a little put off, but determined to try once again to strike up a conversation. "I sure am, there's so many possibilities! You wanna make a bet on what world we're gonna see next?"

Still, she got absolutely nothing from the red and black hedgehog,

"Alright, no betting...but you know, I'm _really_ curious how the orb thing worked...aren't you?" She started, reeling back a little as she tried to figure out something they could talk about. "I mean, how did you know I was calling you?"

"And what were you doing before all this?" she continued "Do you have your memories?"

It was then that she happened to notice movement, it was slight, but she saw that his left ear twitched and his red eyes slowly opened up; And taking that as an interested reaction to her question, she kept going...

"Like, do you remember where you come from?" Toony asked. " Do you...do you remember Maria?"

She jumped, startled a bit when Shadow suddenly stood to his feet with almost lightning fast speed before he crouched down and jumped high into the air before he landed right at the top of the main mast. Maintaining perfect balanced as he recrossed his arms and kept his attention straight ahead with his back to her.

"Right...good talk." Toony stated, discouraged at the cold shoulder she had just received though she should have know that it was to be expected; Shadow definitely wasn't as talkative _or_ as polite as his blue, green eyed counterpart...but she would have thought that he would at least want to _try_ and find out more about what was going on or why he was here.

How could he not be even the _least_ bit curious?

"That wasn't very nice..." Cheo commented in a displeased tone to Hiromi while Toony just gave a defeated sigh and she stood up to her feet.

"Marie, are we almost there?" she asked her guide as she stood in her place at the helm.

"I'm thinkin' so!" Marie called back over her shoulder. "Why don't you come up and see for yourself? You like this part, right?"

Smiling, Toony eagerly clambered up the steps until she stood next to Marie, the blue star seeming to glow even brighter the closer they got. Even now after Shadows' brush off, it was hard not to feel excited about where they end up!

"So, not the gossipy type, is he?" the darker haired woman suddenly asked as she nodded her head up in Shadows' direction.

"Eh, you could say that..." Toony answered, unable to stop another sigh. "I don't think he likes me very much."

"He doesn't look as though he likes _anyone_ very much." Marie commented dryly before she just shrugged her shoulders. " But it can't be helped, he's already here, so we can only hope that he'll warm up...eventually. Though it might be a good idea to give him space for now just so he has his moment to wrap his head around all this."

"Yeah...you're probably right." Toony said as she sent one more look up at Shadow as he seemingly paid his new companions no mind high above them.

But her eyes weren't on him for long when things suddenly got brighter, making her look back towards the star. And before she knew it, the Phoenix once again seemed to be sailing through blue fires into long tunnel full of shimmering lights; She never got tired of watching this...but as beautiful as it was, she couldn't help but run up to the front and clutch at the railing tightly with both hands while she held her breath, both from eagerness and fear, as she kept the bright end of the tunnel in her sight until they soared right through it.

Toony had to blink her eyes a bit to adjust them to the lighting as it had been rather bright going through, but once they made it out, it suddenly had become _very_ dark with nothing but the moon to light their way through the evening sky. But even through the darkness a soft light caught her eye, and her eyes widened in wonder as she took a large clock that had been built within a tall, beautiful shining castle she would recolonize _anywhere!_

"Holy muffins thank you _so_ much!" Toony exclaimed almost dropping to her knees in sheer relief before she turned to her friends with a delighted smile. "Guys, allow me to welcome you all to the world of Cinderella!"

"Glass slipper girl?" Marie asked with interest as she steered the Phoenix towards the lightly crashing waves of the pier that was off to the side of the kingdom, taking in Toonys' reaction as a good sign that this world wouldn't be _near_ as hectic as the last one.

"You got it!" Toony said as she and her fluffballs kept watching in ever growing excitement as the adorable little kingdom came closer and closer into view; It was already pretty dark out, so there wasn't any need to cloak the Phoenix. And as long as Marie touched down far enough at sea she could just bring it up to the docks like any other visiting ship; Of which, it went smoothly for the most part, still a little jarring upon touching down in the water, but overall a pretty easy landing before Marie seemed to breeze right over until she had the Phoenix safely tucked away in it's own little spot at the farthest end of the ship yard.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" a voice asked from directly beside her, making Toony jump and let out a startled yelp as she looked down to see that Shadow had jumped down from the sail at some point and standing right behind her.

"Wow, you sir, are very quiet." Toony commented with a slight laugh. But rather than a response, like usual, all she received was an indifferent ruby glare from the black hedgehog that made her loose her smile and clear her throat a little. "Well, getting right to the point, this is where we need to find the next person that needs our help the most."

"And we need to help them how?" Shadow questioned, though he really didn't look like he truly cared all that much.

"Um, you know, I'm actually not sure." Toony answered with a sheepish smile. "I've pretty much just been winging it this whole time and hoping that it turns out for the best."

The black and red hedgehog made no other comment on what she said while his face remained in that narrow eyed scowl until Toony just turned and walked over to the side door before the silence got any more awkward... _man_ it was hard to tell what this guy was thinking!

"You sure you wanna be heading out now when it's so late?" Marie asked as she tossed a rope over and around a thick wooden post and secured the Phoenix to the dock.

"It's not _that_ late, the clock only read about seven-thirty." Toony said as she flipped open the latch and and pushed the door open. "Plus, this kingdom isn't all that big either, I'm pretty sure I can find Cinderellas' house before it gets much later."

"Hold on, I thought she a princess," Marie started as she looked to the palace. "Why would you start at a house instead of the castle?"

"Why not?" the fox eared woman countered. "At any rate, it's very hard to slip into a royal castle that has guards and servants at every corner. Plus, if we go to the house first to see if Cinderella's still there or gone, then we can just come right back think up plan to get inside castle to see her tomorrow."

And with that, the fox eared woman jumped off of the Phoenix, watching as her cloths were enveloped in a bright light before it disappeared the second her toes touched the damp wood of the dock. Then she looked down to see that this time, she was wearing goldenrod skirt with a white blouse that had a lacy collar under a brown corset and dark brown slippers on her feet.

She still didn't feel entirely comfortable with her outfit changing up on her like this, but at least she was getting used to it now.

Shadow, Cheo and Hiromi joined her on the dock while she smoothed out her skirt, but when it looked like she was about ready to lead the way to their destination, her protector stopped her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Shadow asked, and as Toony fixed him with a confused look, he pointed up to her dark brown ears as they would occasionally swivel to-and-fro with any new sound that would reach them. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt that normal people walk around looking like that."

That's right, up until now, she never really had to try and hide them since magic was a well known and prominent thing already, but that wasn't the case here in this world.

"Hey Marie, can you get me one of those big white cloths from the kitchen?" Toony asked as she turned back to her guide before she closed the side door. "The same ones I used to wrap those cookies for Aurora in."

Marie gave a nod as she turned and disappeared within the Phoenix for a few moments she returned and handed her charge the requested item, watching as Toony folded it in a triangular fashion and flattened her ears before she covered them and her head with the cloth and tied the two longer ends together under her long hair; Then she reached behind and looped her tail through her arms and it looked like she was wearing a fuzzy red boa.

"Okay, how do I look?" Toony asked as she turned around for them to see. "I may look a little weird wearing a fox fur boa with commoner cloths, but I guess it can't be helped."

"And what are they going to think when they see that it's _attached?_ " Shadow questioned.

"If I keep it low enough on my arms, I don't think anyone will notice." Toony said with a shrug of her shoulders. "But, if anyone _does_ ask, well, I'll just say I pinned it to my skirt so I wouldn't lose it...yeah, that should work."

"It "should" work." Shadow repeated, and although he maintained that stoic expression, everyone could hear an obviously annoyed tone in his voice. "Your confidence is _staggering_."

Whether Toony caught his rather side remark or not, she didn't show, she was more excited about getting the show on the road to find another of the classic princesses as she lead her fluffballs along the dock. Though before the red eyed hedgehog made to follow after them, the sound of a throat clearing made him stop and look back over his shoulder to see Marie leaning over the side of their vessel, staring down at him with a frown on her face.

"Got something to say?" He challenged.

"Toony's a good girl." Marie told him, her fair features set with an expression that held a quiet warning. "I know she can be childish and tiring at times...but she tries to keep her heart in the right place, you _could_ consider actin' a little nicer."

Shadow regarded her silently as his ruby red gaze locked with her hazel ones. Most people would find themselves looking away by now, but the dark haired woman didn't even blink as she dauntlessly returned his glare with equal intensity. The black and red hedgehog might have been impressed by how bold she seemed, but in reality, he was simply bored of the little staring contest between them and broke it off by turning away from her with a scoff.

"I don't do 'nice'." He finally said, totally blowing her off and ignoring the displeased glare she sent him as he began to walk away.

Marie just frowned and shook her head, watching them go until they disappeared from sight before she decided head on inside and wait for them to come back. She still didn't understand how in the world that rude, walking pin cushion was the one who ended up picked to join them on their adventure, but if he didn't catch a better attitude _soon_ , she wasn't going to be held responsible for what would happened to him in the long run...

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As it turned out, Toony had _severely_ overestimated her ability to navigate through this place...

The kingdom seemed so small and simple enough for her to find a way to Cinderellas' family home, but ever since they left the pier, she felt like she was just leading herself, Shadow and her fluffballs around in circles as they followed her above the roof tops to avoid being seen. And it was a little difficult to find anyone that could give her directions since most of the little shops were closed down for the evening and almost all the houses were already dark as their residents had turned in for a good nights rest.

It was by sheer luck that she managed to run into a blonde young man, who she happened to recognized as the baker from the second movie, bringing in wood and setting up for work the next day and he was kind enough to give her directions to the stately chateau.

And once she finally walked out of the little town and on a long stretch of road that she hoped would take her to their destination, Cheo, Hiromi and Shadow all joined her back on the ground now that they were save from being spotted and inadvertently causing a panic; Her winged fluffballs helped pass a little time by asking questions about the house they were looking for and what Cinderella looked like and if she was nice while Shadow just quietly followed them, but after a while of walking, a wave of fatigue fell over her.

Briefly, Toony was confused on why she was feeling so exhausted, remembered she hadn't had a full nights sleep in a _really_ long while, and poor Cheo and Hiromi seemed to feel the same way as they had gotten too tired to fly anymore and nestled on top of her head to rest; Toony didn't mind letting them stay there, but after a while of listening to nothing but their soft snores and the crunching of the gravel beneath her feet, it was starting to wear her down until she just had to stop and sank to her knees with a tired groan.

"This isn't the time to sit around." Shadow suddenly commented. "Keep moving."

"Oh come on, Shadow, I'm so tired." Toony whined weakly. "Can't I rest for just a _little_ bit before we keep going?"

"It's your own fault." The red eyed hedgehog stated coldly, showing absolutely no sympathy. "There was plenty of time to do so _before_ we arrived, but you chose to stay awake."

"Okay, _fine_ , you got me there..." Toony conceded reluctantly. "But to be fair, being attacked by some nut job wearing a creepy mask and her blob of _blegth_ isn't a very good way to soothe someone to sleep."

But as she got up to keep moving, Cheo woke up from the light jostle, rubbing at his sleepy eyes before he suddenly perked up from his spot on his creators head and shook Hiromi awake.

"Hey look!" Cheo announced, pointing up the way. "I see lights!"

Toony looked ahead, and sure enough, he was right! Cutting through their dusky surrounding was a soft yellow glow coming from around the curve that was a little further ahead of them and through patches of the trees that were growing along the side of the road; Forgetting about her weariness, Toony quickly lead her little troupe around the way until a stone hedge with decorative iron gates came into their sight which walled off a large and stunningly beautiful Victorian style house.

"This is it guys!" Toony said enthusiastically. "We've made it!"

They didn't have time to admire the beauty of the house, as it was a bit too dark to really do that anyway, so they quietly slipped around the back, passing by the animal pens and a couple of chicken chicken coups until the green, dutch style door that lead to the kitchen of the house. Toony put her hand on the door handle to open it, only to find that it was latched.

She was a bit discouraged by that at first, but then she noticed that the the top part of the door was slightly ajar and slowly began to push it open.

"Is 'breaking and entering' usually part of your process?" Shadow suddenly asked.

"I'm not breaking in, I'm just gonna try and see if Cinderella might be here."

"By letting yourself, secretly I might add, into another persons house." the black hedgehog stated.

"Well yeah, but I'm not... _shush!_ " The fox tailed woman said as she turned her attention back to the wooden, dutch style door; But the very moment after she opened up the top part of the door and peered inside the dark room, she let out startled scream when Bruno, Cinderellas dog, suddenly flew into sight. Snarling and barking so loudly that it sent Toony reeling back several paces.

She had forgotten that he slept in the kitchen during the night.

"Bruno!" a light, airy and very familiar voice calling from behind the inside kitchen door. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Holy muffins! I'm not ready! I don't know what to do!" Toony whispered, panicking a bit as she realized who it could have been; This was only suppose to be an 'in-and-out' deal, she didn't have _any_ plan of action! What would she even say?!

"Calm down!" Shadow growled at her, but when the door on the other side of the kitchen suddenly opened and light flooded over the ground with a familiar silhouette standing right in the middle of it, there was only one thing she was able to come up with...

" _Scatter!_ " she cried as Cheo, Hiromi and Shadow all took off into the air while she darted across the ground to find somewhere to hide. But he escape plan was short lived as she toppled over when her foot got caught under the short leg of the underwater bucket used for the animals drinking water and flew across the ground; She had her eyes close during her fall, but she cringed as a deafening clatter boomed in her ears and yelped when she felt something cold and metal fall over her head as the smell of dry corn filled her nostrils.

Okay, so not only had she miserably failed in trying to run away by tripping, but she also managed to get a bucket of chicken feed to fall on her head and cover her with corn as well...nice.

"Oh my goodness! Are you alright?"

The concerned, soft toned voice asked made Toony slowly lift the feed bucket over her head to see a beautiful young girl of 19, dressed in a maids outfit with strawberry blonde hair tied back in a blue ribbon and bright blue eyes standing before her... _Cinderella._

Well, if there was one thing, at least Toony knew where to find her now.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm...I just tripped." Toony finally said, feeling absolutely star struck as she stared up at this young lady, who had once been something as an idol of hers when she was little, with rounded eyes that were filled with adoration. "Clumsy."

Cinderella gave Toony a dazzling smile as she reached out with a dainty hand, to which Toony slowly took and allowed to her to help her up as corn kernels fell from her hair and cloths before she sheepishly took the bucket off of her head. Pretty embarrassed that she had made such a mess, but Cinderella didn't seem to even bat an eye as she worriedly fussed over her.

"Well, you're not in any pain, are you?" Cinderella asked while she tried to help Toony brush the chicken feed from her cloths and out of her hair. "What were you doing out here, and so late?"

"Oh right, um, I've kinda just been wandering around, but it got pretty dark and I ended up getting lost, I-I guess? I'm very sorry for trespassing." Toony told her, resisting the urge to facepalm herself from rambling. "But I have someone back in town who's waiting for me, so I'll just- _ow!_ "

Toony teetered and leaned heavily on her right let as her left ankle stung painfully when she had put too much weight on it. She must have sprained it when she tripped over that barrel.

"You _are_ hurt!" Cinderella stated as she placed herself closely beside Toony and began to help her inside. "I simply must insist that you stay the night here with me."

"Look, that's super sweet of you, but I'll be fine." the red headed woman said, even though she felt really tired, she still didn't want to be more of a bother than she already was. "My friend will start wonder what's taking so long if I don't-"

"Please, I'm sure your friend would understand that I can't in good conscience send you back out to wander in the dark, especially now that I know you're injured." the young lady firmly interjected before giving her a beautifully kind smile. "Though I'm very sorry to say that that your stay will have to be a rather quiet one as my step-mother and sisters really are not ones for company."

"Well, unless they're of wealth and good family, of course."

"Thank you, this is all really nice of you." The red head said appreciatively. "I'm Toony."

"It's very nice to meet you, Toony." She said. "My name's-"

"Cinderella!" The two of them flinched a little at the forcefulness of the three voices calling for the young maiden the second they entered the warm house; It didn't take a genius to guess that they belonged to her vain and mean spirited stepmother and two stepsisters

"I'm sorry, I'll have to leave you for now, but you can find my room up in the tower." Cinderella explained in a hurried tone as she led Toony to the green marble steps. "Just go through that door there and all the way-"

" _Cinderella!_ "

"I'll come join you after I've cleaned up dinner and settle my step-sisters in for the night." The young girl continued.

" _ **CINDEREEELLA!**_ "

"I'm coming!" Cinderella called, starting back towards the dinning room as she spared Toony one last look with a warm and inviting smile on her lovely face. "Just help yourself to anything you need and make yourself at home."

"What was that stupid dog making so much noise for?" she heard a very loud voice harped, that had to be Drizella.

"I can barely enjoy this mediocre dinner as it is!" another, Anastasia, chimed in.

"I have warned you before!" came a stern, older womans' voice, which had to belong to the one and only lady Tremaine. "If that mongrel was out there bothering the chickens, then this shall be the very last night he will spend on this property!"

"Oh no, step-mother." she heard Cinderella say obediently. "Bruno only thought he heard an intruder, but he won't make another sound tonight."

"For his sake, you better be right!"

Toony paused when she reached the top of the stairs, frowning at what she heard. She never liked Cinderellas' stepmother, Anastasia and Drizella may not have been angels themselves, but growing up under the influence of a bitter and spiteful woman like Tremaine, it was really no wonder that they turned out so bratty and mean spirited.

Though as she opened up the door, she had to put her focus elsewhere as she looked up and took in the winding stair case of the tower that lead to Cindrellas' room; It was a bit of a challenge, and she ended up crawling up after the first few flights so she wouldn't mess up her ankle anymore, but eventually she made it up to the lonely tower space that Cinderella was forced to use as a bedroom.

"Well, this wasn't part of the plan, but it's actually a pretty good turn of events." She commented to herself, before she hobbled over to the window and leaned outside.

"Cheo? Romi?" Toony called out quietly. "Shadow, are you out there?"

Her answer came as scary looking red eyes suddenly flashing through the darkness of the night made her gasp and stumble back just as Shadow pulled himself up on the the windowsill as Cheo and Hiromi fluttered in from behind him.

"Geeze Shadow!" Toony berated. "I already got heart attack from Bruno tonight, I don't need one from you too!"

"How do we get a diamond to glow so we can leave?" Shadow asked, ignoring her as he jumped inside the room while Toony took a seat at Cinderellas' small vanity desk and looked in the broken mirror, scrunching her nose when she saw that her hair was still covered in corn kernels.

"I don't know yet, that's what I need to figure out." Toony answered, pulling off her makeshift head scarf and sighing with relief as her ears straightened back up from being wrapped up for so long. "It might be a little easier to do that since Cinderella pretty much invited me to a sleep over, but someone really should got back to the pier and tell Marie what happened."

"Shadow, do you think you-"

"Do I look like I deliver messages?" The black and red hedgehog interjected. "My only job here is to protect you, remember?"

"From _what?_ The mean family cat?" Toony demanded. "I'm pretty sure your expertise in chaos blasting things out of existence won't be needed in a place like this!...Well, unless we happen to get caught by Tremaine and her daughters, but they're just people and that would be considered murder!"

"Wherever you are, I'm _staying._ " Shadow said, leaving no room for further discussion on the subject.

Toony growled in frustration before she just gave an exasperated sigh and walked over to Cheo and Hiromi as they sat on the bed. "I'm sorry guys, I know you must be tired, but do you think you're awake enough to do that for me instead? You know, since it's _obviously_ too much to ask of the sour puss over there."

Her comment only received a firm "humph!" from the black hedgehog, but Cheo and Hiromi were already in the air, happy to be able to help Toony get her message to Marie as she waited back at the Phoenix.

"Sure Toony, we can do it!" Cheo assured her with a big smile.

"And we'll be right back tomorrow." Hiromi promised. "Nighty-night!"

"Nighty-night you two, we'll see you in the morning," Toony said, waving them off as they flew out of the window and into the night. "Be safe!"

Once it was just her and Shadow left, Toony went back to the vanity and began to comb her fingers through her long, curly red hair to clean the chicken feed out of it.

Though after a few moments went by, something began to feel a little weird, and looking to her right she saw Shadow. His arms crossed over his fluffy white chest and still fixing her with that seemingly permanent glare of his; She averted her eyes and tried to focus on getting her hair cleaned out at first, but it just got a bit too uncomfortable the longer the silence dragged on.

"Can...can you please not stare at me like that if you're not gonna say anything?" she requested in a soft voice.

"Toony, I've brought some bandages, and I managed to find an extra nightdress for you." Came Cinderellas' voice as the door opened up and the strawberry blonde young lady walked through the door holding a roll of white gauze and pink nightdress. "It's my step-sister Anastasias', it's a little frayed at the hem, but it should do for the time being."

She stopped dead in her tracks as a sharp gasp suddenly escaped from her lips, the items she had fell from her hands to the floor, staring at Toony's head with crystal blue eyes that were as wide as saucers as they immediately fixated on the top of Toonys' head.

"Oh shoot!" Toony cried as she clapped her hands over her ears, but it was way to late to hide them now; And with Shadow just standing beside her non nonchalantly, she just prepared for Cinderella to start screaming...only to have the young woman slowly step closer to her before she reached up and took Toony's ears between her fingers and rub them.

Holy muffins, now she really _was_ beginning to feel like InuYasha.

"They _are_ real!" Cinderella exclaimed in wonderment before she realized how rude it must have been to touch them without asking permission first and she let them go. "Then does that mean, your fur boa..."

"It's my tail." Toony confessed as she sheepishly stood up to her feet and turned around to show it to her. "Sorry, I meant to tell you after you had a moment to relax."

Thankfully, Cinderella still seemed to be more curious than scared of her as she started to reach out for it. She hesitated only a moment, but after a nod of consent from Toony, the young girl lightly ran her hand over the silky soft red fur; Cinderella smiled as a gleeful laugh escaped her from this incredible discovery before her eyes shifted to Shadow as he stood off to the side just watching their interaction.

"And um, who is this?" She started, not sure what, or how, to address this strange creature with red eyes.

"This is Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog." Toony introduced with a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, he's a friend of mine."

Shadow was obviously less then pleased by what Toony had said as he sent his seething glare. But Toony purposely kept her attention on Cinderella as the young lady offered him a smile.

"It's very nice to meet you, Shadow." she addressed politely. "If you would just give me I moment, I can bring you an extra pillow and blanket."

"Don't bother." Shadow said irritably, turning right around and jumping out through the open window.

Cinderella gave a horrified gasp as she and Toony hurried over and looked outside, it was a bit hard to make out anything because it was so dark, but Toony managed to spot him sitting down on the roof of the house below the tower.

"I'm sorry about him, he's... _shy_." Toony apologized.

"Oh don't worry, I'm just relieved to see that he's alright." Cinderella assured as she went back to retrieve the nightdress and bandages she got for Toony.

Cinderella had Toony change for bed first behind the changing curtain before she changed herself; And if giving her a place to stay for the night as well as something to sleep in, she was nice enough to help brush any stray kernels she had missed before she pt her hair in a braid and helped her to the bed with the bandages in hand.

"I'm very sorry that you have to share such a small room with me." Cinderella began while she wrapped up Toonys' ankle. "But the bed is soft and the quilt keeps out the draft very well."

"Hey, don't be sorry, It's really nice of you to offer me a place to sleep in the first place." Toony said with a smile as she leaned back on the pillow, just so she could rest her head for a minuet.

"This is all rather exciting too, I can't remember the last time I've had a friend stay the night with me. Besides Jacq and my other animal friends of course." Cinderella stated before the queries started. "Toony I have so many questions, where are you from? Why do you look the way you do? And your curious friend, I've never seen anyone like him."

"Are you... _magic?_ "

But when she received no reply, she looked back up to see that her fascinating new friend was sound asleep, her chest gently rising and falling with every breath she took; So with a soft smile and a small shrug of her shoulders, Cinderella carefully fastened the gauze and pulled the quilt over Toonys' still form before she blew out the candle, crawled into her side of the bed and snuggled down under the covers as well.

"Goodnight Toony." the kind young maiden whispered before she joined her in dream land...

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 **Yaaaay! We made it to another world! *dances*  
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 **But holy muffins, that Shadow, right? Someone sure woke up on the wrong side of the bed.**

 **Shadow:...**

 **Me: Oh I see, giving the silent treatment, are we? Well fine! I can do that too!**

 **Shadow:...**

 **Me:...**

 **Shadow:...**

 **Me:...You are being _really_ immature right now!  
**

 ** _Ehem_ , I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter, I'll try and get the next two finished up soon! And if you see any spelling or grammar errors that happened to slip by me, don't be afraid to let me know X3.**


	20. Of Dreams and Sorrow, Part 2

**Bad Toony!*slaps my hand* Shame on you for saying you'd get two more chapters done and posted within a week only to let two more weeks pass by! DX**

 **I'm seriously sorry about that guys, when I posted that last chapter I was in the middle of job hunting, but I actually ended up going in for an interview and started working _waaay_ sooner than I expected ^^; These past two weeks have been pretty exhausting, and I'm an author who really doesn't like to post a new chapter that ends up only being an authors note when you've been waiting for so long.**

 **But before I turn you loose, let me use this opportunity to thank those who were kind enough to leave reviews...  
**

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 **NatNicole:** Hiya hun! It's great to see you too!:3 :3 (Lol, I wish it wasn't as hard to keep up a schedule when it comes to writing, though. XP)

You can say that again, Shadow's definitely not the easiest guy to get get along with, _that's_ for sure! XP

 _Aww_ , thank you so much for that! I was hoping that I did an okay job with her character. I've noticed that Disney Princesses seem to be easier to work with than others, but there's still that chance I could miss X3.

 **Just a Visitor:** Well hello there, it's nice to see you! :D :D. No problem, I didn't want to just leave you hanging, and job hunting actually did work out and I'm nearly two weeks into my new job :D:D Thank you so much for that hun!

 ** **jack larkin:**** Lol, they would definitely be the two most likely culprits when it comes to rather powerful magic, wouldn't they? ;D

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 **Thank you all for your continued support of this story! I hope you enjoy the newest chapter! :) :) :)**

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 _Chapter 20: Of Dreams and Sorrow, Part 2_

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 _"...You know what's interesting?"_

 _She looked up at her husbands sudden question in the middle of the show they were watching together on the couch._

 _"Because of the fact that you have red hair and green eyes, and I have blue eyes and grow a red beard, there's a high probability that every one of our kids will all have red hair and either blue or green eyes." He explained. "We're gonna have a bunch of little gingers running around one of these days."_

 _"I know, you've told me that before." She stated with a light giggle._

 _"Well yeah, but that doesn't make it any less interesting." Lynn said with a wink._

 _"Hmm, that's true." She hummed as she snuggled closer next to him and laid her head back down on his chest to keep watching their movie. "But you forgot to add that they'll all have freckles, too."_

 _"Haha, your right, freckles are the best part." he agreed lovingly as he rested his cheek atop her head..._

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Toonys eyes finally fluttered open...a soft smile on her face, but after a couple moments, she realized that what she wasn't laying against wasn't her husbands chest, but on a large, fluffy pillow; And sitting up, she looked around to find herself in a small room filled with old and damaged furniture instead of a one bedroom apartment.

She was still at Cinderella's Chatue.

Toony let out a long sigh, looking down at the warm, patched up quilt that lay over her legs with a slightly disappointed expression on her face; It wasn't the first time on this trip where she had a dream like that...where she thought she was back home with Lynn; And while she loved having them, it still left her heart feeling rather heavy every time she had to stop dreaming...

"Finally awake, are we?" came a gruff voice from the window, making her look over to see Shadow sitting on the windowsill as he kept his gaze outside. "Took you long enough."

"Where's Cinderella?" Toony asked, pushing over the covers and sitting at the edge of the bed while she rubbed the last bit of sleep out of her eyes.

"She's already been gone for hours, I see her every once in a while doing chores around here." Shadow answered. "You wouldn't budge when she tried to wake you up, so she just decided to let you keep sleeping."

Toony nodded at his answer as she slowly stood up to her feet to test her ankle, smiling in satisfaction when she felt no more pain before she knelt down to unwrap the gauze.

"Toony, we're back!" a voice called before they turned to see Cheo and Hiromi flying in through the window, each of them holding something in their little paws with Hiromi carrying a good sized stem full of purple grapes while Cheo had a plump and juicy looking honeycrisp apple; And as Hiromi kindly gave the grapes to Toony, which she noticed with a light smile that they seemed to have helped themselves to a few of the bunch, Cheo hovered before Shadow with his own morsel.

"We didn't know what you liked, Shadow, but we brought an apple for you if you want." The green eyed fluffball said, offering it out to him with a friendly grin.

But instead of taking it, the red and black hedgehog just turned his face away with a scoff.

"I don't need it." Shadow told him.

Cheos' little cheeks puffed out at Shadows' rather rude brush off as he didn't even at least thank them for the thought and the effort to bring him something to eat in case he was hungry. But as it wasn't wanted, he just fluttered over to the bed and sat down next to Toony as she was finishing up her breakfast before he looked up at his creator and wordlessly offered her his rejected fruit instead.

"I'm sorry hun, I'd love to take it, but I can't eat raw apples." Toony said apologetically as she patted his head. "Allergies, remember?"

At that, Cheo only crossed his paws indignantly and pouted as he realized that carried this rather heavy apple all the way out here for nothing...

"U-uh, can we have-a some apple?" A tiny voice squeaked out, making them look down to see that they had accumulated an audience in Cinderella little mice friends.

"Gus-Gus!" Jacques, or Jaq, snapped as he pulled his friend back by the collar of his yellow shirt. "We suppose-ta hide from strangers!"

"Don't worry about us, guys, we don't mind mice at all." Toony assured them with a friendly smile.

Octavius, or Gus as he was affectionately called, still stared at the tantalizing red and yellow apple with hungry looking eyes. And after she realized that this must have been at the time where Lucifer, the family cat, interrupted their breakfast before poor little Gus had a chance to eat anything, she took the apple offered it down to them.

"Help yourselves." She said with a smile.

Jaq didn't still didn't seem to fully trust her, but after an imploring gaze from Gus, he finally relented. And with the help of Gus and a couple of the other boy mice, they accepted the apple from her and and quickly brought it over to the little mouse hole where Mary and the other lady mice were waiting to cut it up and dived amongst them.

Afterwards, Toony stood up and stretched out the kinks in her back before she headed over to the privacy screen in the room, changing out of her nightdress and back into her own cloths that were hanging over the top of it.

"So what's the plan now?" Shadow asked. "How we're going to get a diamond to glow?"

"Hold you're horses, Shadow." she said from behind the privacy screen as she rustled around from behind it. "Like I said last night, that's what I'll need to figure out. And that might take some time."

"Well how _much_ time?!" the red eyes hedgehog demanded with a rather impatient hint in his voice that made Toony peek above the top of the screen, a brow raised and an unamused expression on her face as she felt that she was just repeating herself.

"What part of 'I'll need to figure it out' doesn't make sense to you?" she asked before she ducked back down.

And just as Toony finished dressing by putting her scarf back over her ears and fastening it snugly under her braided hair, she suddenly heard the sound of feet tapping quickly along the stairs before Cinderella came hurrying inside through the door. She already seemed so excited when they saw her, but once her blue eyes met with Toony's curiously startled grayish green ones, her smile got even wider.

"Toony, you'll never guess what's happened!" She cried, taking Toony by the hands and spinning around with her as little bluebirds came flying in while Jaq, Gus and the others filed back out from their little mouse hole upon hearing the commotion. "She said I could go, she _really_ said I could go! I've never felt so happy!"

She suddenly stopped when she remembered the reason she had a guest staying in her room, letting go of Toonys hands as she took a step back from her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She quickly said, her cheeks turning a rosy color from embarrassment. "Here I am rambling on about myself and jostling you when you're hurt..."

"Hey it's fine, my ankle's good as new this morning." Toony assured, giving Cinderella a big grin as she already had an idea of what had her in such a good mood now. "Ramble away, what's got you so excited?"

"My family just received an invitation for a ball that's going to be held at palace, _tonight!_ " the young lady told her excitedly. "My step-mother said that I would be allowed to attend!"

"She normally never lets me go anywhere with her and my step-sisters, but she said that if I finished all of my chores and have a dress ready, then I could come, too!" Cinderella added, almost twirling like a ballerina before she hurried over to a large trunk that was off to the side and started pulling out a sewing basket filled with colored strings, scissors and rolls of fabric. "And I know _just_ the dress I want to wear..."

She then reached back into the trunk and pulled out a simple, but very elegant, pink and white dress that had puffed sleeves and a scrunched hem.

"Isn't it lovely?" Cinderella asked her friends as she held it to herself with a fond expression on her face. "It was my mothers."

"That's you're mommy's dress?" Hiromi asked, making Cinderella blink in surprise as this was the first time she had noticed that there were two new faces there with her today.

"Very pretty, but it's-a old." one little girl mouse commented, pulling Cinderellas' attention back as she pointed to her dress.

"Oh, well, maybe it is a _little_ old fashioned..." Cinderella agreed two blue birds helped her rest it over the mannequin she had. " But I'll fix that."

"U-uh, how you do it, huh?" Gus asked while the young maiden picked up her sewing book from the basket

"Wait a minuet, there ought to be some good ideas in here." She told them flipping through a couple of pages before she found something that she liked and propped it up to show her little friends. "This one."

"Oh very nice-nice!" A girl mouse wearing a blue dress said.

"Like it!" Jaq stated in approval.

"It'll be easy!" Gus said.

"I'll have to shorten the sleeves." Cinderella mused aloud as she looked over the picture. "I'll need a sash, a ruffle and something for the collar and then I'll-"

"Cinderella!" came a shout from Drizella downstairs.

"Oh _now_ what do they want?" she asked as she looked over at the door in exasperation.

"Cinderella!" Anastasia called up again before Lady Trumaines' chimed in as well.

"Oh well," The strawberry blonde young lady began, holding a bit of the white cloth in her hand as she gazed at her dress longingly. "I guess my dress will just have to wait..."

" _Cinderella!_ " her step-sisters yelled impatiently.

"Alright, Alright, I'm coming!" Cinderella said, albeit just a tad bit miffed that work on her outfit had to be put on hold.

"Hey, wait a second!" Toony started, making the young lady stop and look back at her. "Why don't we help you with your chores?"

"I beg your pardon?" Cinderella asked in surprise.

Before Toony could explain, she yelped when her tail was suddenly grabbed and she found herself being pulled across the room by a very annoyed looking hedgehog.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded, keeping his voice down as he released her tail. "It's no business of ours if this house is short on staff, you shouldn't offer to help just because you feel sorry for her!"

"It's not about feeling sorry for her, it's just the right thing to do, especially since she gave us a place to stay when she didn't even have to!" Toony told him while she smoothed down the fur on her tail after his rather rough treatment. "And if that's not enough for you, then maybe I might get a jewel to light up doing this so we can head out to the next world."

Shadow only crossed his arms as he stared up at her with that glare of his, but when he said no other word against it, she turned back to Cinderella.

"I have experience cleaning big houses too." She told her, which was the truth as she had appointed herself to be her grandmothers own house keeper when she wasn't able to take care of it herself anymore. "And with me and my friends helping, you might have enough time to work on your dress before the ball's supposed to start."

Cinderella bit at her bottom lip thoughtfully, she didn't want to impose on Toony and ask her take on her chores. But as she looked over at her mothers dress and back to Toony as the red headed woman gave her a nod, she quickly walked over to the trunk and pulled out a smaller, spare apron with a lacy hem and handed it over to Toony before she had had her new friends follow her down the stairs while making a list of the duties that she had yet to do before the message from the king arrived to the house.

"Are you sure about this, Toony?" Cinderella suddenly asked. " Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate that you want to help me, but you really don't have to."

"Positive, all you need to worry about is what your step-sisters and mother want you to do, like sewing or helping them get together an outfit or just things that I probably won't know how to do myself." Toony instructed as she took the apron and tied it around her waist. "You just leave the majority of cleaning house and picking up the rooms to us!"

" ** _CINDEREEELLA!_** "

With the exception of Shadow, all of them cringed at the sheer volume and pitch that Cinderellas' step-sisters had reached before they decided to continue on down the stairs as it wouldn't look good for any of them if they managed to get impatient enough to find out what was taking Cinderella so long.

"And if there's any other chores you step-mother conjures up later, but sure to let us know about it!" Toony added.

"You're so very kind," Cinderella began gratefully. "And...do you _really_ think doing things this way will leave me time to work on my dress?"

"We won't know until we try," the fox tailed woman told her, which was also the truth as she couldn't say for certain if it would. But even if it didn't, she knew that by now the mice and birds were already working away on their dear friends outfit. "Let's just give it our best shot, okay?"

The surety Toony had in her voice seemed to be enough to ease Cinderellas doubts a little, so the young maiden just gave her a smile and nodded before parted ways. With Cinderella going off to see to her step-family and Toony and her fluffballs to get to their own jobs with cleaning the rooms.

Though after a couple hours of working, a certain _someone_ in their little group was starting to loose his usually apathetic demeanor and began to behave surprisingly impatient...

"You should be finding a way for us to move along already, not wasting our time helping with common household errands!" Came Shadows annoyed statement for the third time since the day started.

"I already know that, Shadow, you don't have to tell me." Toony told him as she balanced on a stool on the cushioned window seats while washing the windows of the piano room. "Since we're here, all I know is that it's Cinderella I need to help, and like I said before, maybe helping her with all these chores her step-mother and sisters dish out with get a new diamond to glow."

"Besides, this would go a _lot_ faster if you pitched in." She added looking over her shoulder at him. "Seeing as you're so concerned about the time and all..."

"Do I look like a maid to you?" Shadow demanded. "If she want's to put up with such poor treatment, then that's her choice, but _you_ are here on a mission. And you _should_ be treating it as such!"

"Man, you sound just like Marie when we first met..." Toony commented, mostly to herself as she rolled her eyes and focused on her cleaning. " If you not going to help, then just relax before you give yourself a stroke."

"I'm the ultimate life form." Shadow sneered, seeming almost offended by her statement. "Not a pathetically weak human like you."

Cheo frowned as Shadow refused to come and help them, especially when he pretty much insulted his creator, his long tail swishing with agitation and his cheeks puffing out once again in anger.

"I don't like him!" the little fluffball quietly stated with a huff. "He's mean!"

"Now Cheo, don't say things like that." Toony chided, keeping her voice soft as she handed him the wash cloth so he could clean the corners she couldn't quite reach. "There's a reason Shadow acts the way he does, and getting spirited away from his home to find himself surrounded by strangers he isn't sure he can trust...well I'm sure that doesn't do much to help his attitude"

"Just give him some time, okay? For me?"

Cheo still didn't look too sure, but since it was at his creators request, he begrudgingly relented and gave a nod of his head before he went back to work washing the windows.

"But...why _does_ Cinderella stay, Toony?" Hiromi asked curiously. " Everyone is so bad to her, how come she doesn't go live somewhere else?"

"Well, I think partly because it's her fathers house. But also because even if she _did_ try to leave, I don't think she has anywhere else to go." she answered. "And yeah, her step-mother is terrible to her and lets her daughters treat her like a servant...but they're all the family she has."

"But why would anyone marry a mean old lady, anyway?" Cheo questioned, still not fully understanding it all. "Why didn't her daddy marry someone who was nicer?"

At that, Toony paused in her cleaning for a moment as a rather sad expression came over her face. Staying like that for just a moment before she gave a heavy sigh.

"He thought he was doing right by his daughter in giving her a mother and sisters, Cheo. Odds are, he had no idea what kind of woman Tremaine really was before he died." she finally said as she went back to her task. "Some people are just _very_ good at hiding things."

"Poor Cinderella..." Hiromi said sadly.

Finally done with all the windows, Toony started to lean back to see if there were any smudges or marks she had missed. But shifting her weight like that made one of the legs of the stool sink deep into the cushions so fast, that it caused her to loose her balance.

"W- _whoa!_ " She cried out, trying to right herself or grab at a curtain to stop from teetering over any further, but she just wasn't quick enough and was forced to simply braced herself for impact on the hard marble floor; But then she gasped in surprise when she suddenly felt something grab her in mid air, opening her eyes once everything became still to see that Shadow had saved her from the fall.

"Thanks so much!" she told him gratefully.

But instead of saying something along the lines of 'you're welcome' Shadow only moved his hands, causing her to let out a yelp as he dropped her to the floor with a heavy _'thump!'_.

"That was only force of habit." He said, recrossing his arms and moving away from her, ignoring the dirty look he got as Toony picked herself up and rubbed at the sore spot on her back. "Put yourself in a reckless situation again, then I'm just gonna let you fall."

Toony looked like she wanted to say something, but after a short moment of silence, she just stepped back with a sigh before she dusted off her dress and adjusting the scarf of her head.

"Right, well, we're going to the next room now, Shadow. You're welcome to come with us or you can stay here." She announced, straightening out the fallen stool she had used and grabbed her bucket and cleaning rags. "Just try and stay out of sight if you hear anyone coming."

"Humph!" came his only reply before they left him alone to see what work they'd have to do next.

"I don't think I like him either!" Hiromi commented to Cheo in a quiet voice. "Toony didn't mean to fall, why's he always so grouchy?!"

"Shadow's had a rough life, guys." Toony began, shushing them before they could say anything else. "If you knew what he's had to go through before now, I think you'd understand him a little more."

But even as she said that, she sent an indigent glare back at the room they had just walked out of while her still tender back twinged a little.

"Though understanding or not, _I'm_ starting to have my fill of his attitude too, I'll admit..."

"But why _is_ he like that then, Toony?" Hiromi asked.

"Well, you'll just have to ask him if your curious about it." the red headed woman told them.

"No way!" Cheo stated making a face before Toony suddenly began to hear a bit of a ruckus going on in a room that was down the hall.

Making sure that her fluffballs were quiet, she quietly walked over to it and listened in on what was going on in there. Even with her ears tied back under the scarf, she could hear the voices of Drizella and Anastasia going back and fourth with so many demands for Cinderella to preform; Even before they always had so many demands for one person to do, but with the ball coming up, they were taking care to keep Cinderella busy for as long as possible.

"Cinderella." She heard lady Tremaine say over her daughters voices.

"Yes?" she heard Cinderella rather flustered answer.

"When you're through, and before you begin your regular chores, _I_ have a few little things."

"Very well..." came the young maidens' disheartened reply before Toony stepped back when the door opened up, seeing an exhausted looking Cinderella holding a large bundle of clothing in her arms before she closed the door and accidentally walked right into her.

"Oh!" Cinderella cried, a bit surprised as the cloths fell from her arms.

"Got you running around all over the place, huh?" Toony asked with a slight laugh.

"Oh Toony, you startled me. " Cinderella began with both exhaustion and relief, wiping at her brow before she knelt down to start picking up the clothing. "Yes, they certainly do seem to have a lot more requests and duties for me to complete today."

" Yeah, what a _coincidence_..." the fox eared woman asked in a dry tone as she knelt down and helped pick up the cloths as well.

"Are you feeling okay?" Hiromi asked in concern as she hovered before Cinderellas' face.

"Well hello again." The young lady greeted. "I'm doing as well as I can be, I suppose, er..."

She stopped as she had only briefly seen them earlier but hadn't had time to really meet them before her family began barking orders at her left and right.

"These two are my best little friends." Toony introduce with an affectionate smile. "Cheo and Hiromi."

"We're helping clean too!" Cheo told her. "So you can work on your dress later!"

At that, Cinderellas face fell a bit as she looked down at the items she held.

"I don't know Toony, you've already been so much help for me today, but I'm afraid there's simply no way for me to work on my dress if this keeps up." she lamented.

"Aw, don't worry about that, hun." Toony said encouragingly. "Just do your best and hang in there, eventually, everything's gonna work out okay."

"Your confidence makes me feel hopeful." Cinderella commented with a slight laugh as a more sincere smile appeared on her face. "Alright, I'll keep at it and work hard."

"My step-mother and sisters should be done in there now." she added as she had Toony give the bundle of cloths she held to her and gestured to the room she just walked out of. " I've already swept and dusted in there earlier this morning, but if you could tidy up for me, that would be just wonderful. Oh, and don't worry about putting away they cloths too neatly, my step-sisters won't notice and odds are they'll just pull them right back out again later."

"I'm on it!" Toony said, giving her two thumbs up before Cinderella made her way over to start her mending and sewing. And once she was gone, Toony moved her right ear out from under her scarf and pressed her face against the door to listen in...

She could hear a bit of racket going on inside, but it brought a grin to her face as she had a pretty good idea what was happening. And when she opened the door, her suspicions turned out to be correct as she saw the large, slithering form of Lucifer, trapped within the ruffled sleeve of a blouse as he tried to get at bustling figures of Jaq and Gus, while they hurried to pick up Drizellas' discarded aqua green beads they wanted for Cinderellas dress.

It was when he was almost upon them did Toony bring a finger to her lips to signal Cheo and Hiromi to stay quiet before she walk into the room and crept quietly up behind him just as he was about to try and gobble up Gus.

" _Oops._ " she said as she "accidentally" stepped on the spot were Lucifer's tail was, making him yowl in pain and pop right out of the sleeve before he grab his large, fluffy tail and blew on it to ease the pain upon landing back on the ground; But he jerked in surprise when he was suddenly lifted off the floor by the scruff.

He expected to see Cinderella as she was always ruining his hunt for mice, but his emerald green eyes widened in shock at the sight of complete strangers in his home.

But despite that he was caught by an intruder, a series of giggling made his gaze snap back to see his two little snacks running back to the wall with the beads in their paws, but as this woman held him in a tight grip, he could only watch with an enraged sneer as Jaq blew a raspberry at him.

"You two okay?" Toony asked.

"Zuk-zuk, Toony, zuk-zuk!" Jaq answered, giving her a quick thumbs up. "Gotta go now, lots-a work to do!"

Gus held back and waved goodbye to them, but it was cut shot when her friend pulled him back inside and they both disappeared within the wall to join the others; Leaving Lucifer alone with his captors as Toony sent him a disapproving frown.

"Yeah, not so fun when someone five times your size is picking on you, _is_ it?" Toony asked as she lifted him higher and walked over to the window before she opened it up and stuck him out in the open to a tree limb that hung directly under the window sill.

"How about you spend the rest of the day outside, hmm?" she suggested before she promptly dropped him on the branch and quickly closed the window back up so he wouldn't have the chance to jump back inside. "Maybe some fresh air will help improve your manners!"

Lucifer meowed and scratched at the glass, but it was no use as he found that he was stuck up in the tree waiting until his mistress noticed that he was missing or until he managed to pluck up the nerve to try and scale down the trunk; Though it looked like it would have to be the later as she would be busy helping her vain and fickle daughters prepare for the ball and coming up with random chores to keep Cinderella working around the house.

So with one inconvenience out of the way, Toony and her fluffballs started picking up the cloths and putting them away in the general places they belonged before they moved on throughout the house to see what else they could do.

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 _Later That Night..._

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It wasn't as easy as Toony thought to keep this house clean, on top of dodging the Tremaines' if Toony happened to hear them coming, they just left a whirlwind of disaster in every room they went. Cinderella really wasn't kidding when she said that they would just come back and pull things out again. They were worse than her brother, sister, and _both_ of her brother-in-laws when it came to throwing things away or putting things back after they had used it!

Though, that was probably intentional as they were _trying_ to keep Cinderella from attending the ball tonight.

And while Toony could tidy up, dust and polish furniture, sweep and mop floors and scrub glass until it almost sparkled in the light, there were still some things that she didn't know how to do on Cinderellas' chore list that she unfortunately had to leave for the young lady to do on her own.

Though after hours of just going around the house spot cleaning and putting things back in their proper place, she suddenly heard the loud, booming rings of the palace clock town chime at eight o'clock on the spot before he suddenly saw Cinderella come into view. A scarf tying back her hair, a broom in her hand and a disheartened expression on her face.

"Toony, I want to thank you so much for trying to help me." She said. "I'm only sorry to say that your hard work was all for nothing..."

"Hey, cheer up Cinderella, the nights' still young." Toony said. "Sometimes good things come when it looks the darkest."

Cinderella gave her a small smile, but it was obviously forced and she didn't hold it for long as she turned away and began walking up the stairs to where her step-family was getting ready.

"Well then, I better let them know that the carriage is here." she said softly.

"Alrighty, hun, I'll just go and put up these things in the kitchen for you." Toony said, grabbing her bucket, broom and cleaning rags.

Cinderella only nodded before she continued up the stairs while Toony retreated to the kitchen. She felt bad that Cinderella was so down, but she tried to keep in mind that things were still going to go her way before the night was over...

"So that's it then?"

Toony paused in setting her broom and other cleaning supplies back in their places as she turned to see her black and red protector standing at the door by the stove with that ever present grim and angry look on his face.

"They still managed to keep that girl from making a dress and we ended up wasting an entire day for nothing?" he asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Jaq, Gus and the other animals have been working on her dress this whole time." Toony told him as she took off her apron and hung it up.

But that just seemed to irritate him even more.

"Then _what_ was the point of all this?!" Shadow demanded.

Before Toony could answer, Cheo and Hiromi suddenly started waving their paws from their place at the cracked door to inside the house where they were keeping a look out for anyone besides Cinderella who might need something from the kitchens.

"Look! Look! They're coming down the stairs!" Cheo told them in a hushed voice.

Shadow said nothing, but he still went to the door to watch as the lady Tremaine led her daughters to the door where their carriage was waiting outside for them...Toony was the only one who stayed in place as she felt her stomach drop as she knew what was to come here pretty soon..

"Wait!" came Cinderella's voice, right on cue. " _Please_ , wait for me!"

"Wow!" Cheo began. "It's Cinderella, and she's wearing her dress!"

"She's so pretty!" Hiromi stated with a big, elated smile. " And her step-mother and step-sisters are so surprised!"

"Guys, you should come over here..." Toony started, but they didn't seem to hear her as they had their eyes glued to the scene before them.

"But how come they're just standing there talking?" " Cheo asked. "The house is clean, and Cinderella can go too, why aren't they going?"

"Why you little _thief_!" rang out Drizella's enraged cry. "They're _my_ beads!"

"Give them here!"

At Cheo and Hiromis' horrified gasps and the sound of beads clattering along the marble floors, Toony found that she couldn't keep herself away after all and raced over to peer through the door just as Anastasia ripped off the sash from Cinderellas dress while she and her sister continued to tear it apart as they yelled about how ungrateful she was and screamed about ribbons and trimmings that they didn't even want to wear in the first place.

She wanted so badly to run out there and start ripping pieces off their own extremely unflattering dresses; But as much as she wanted to put a stop to this cruel treatment, deep down she knew that she had to stay put...even if she ran out there right now, it wouldn't change what had already been done.

And her presence would only end up causing more trouble for Cinderella in the long run.

" _Girls_ , girls...that's quite enough." Lady Tremaine finally announced, stopping Drizella and Anatasia before they did anymore damaged as she opened up the door. "Hurry along now, both of you, I won't have you upsetting yourselves."

Her two daughters did as they were told and hurried outside to where the carriage was waiting for them, leaving poor Cinderella standing in the middle of the room surrounded by what used to be the beautiful dress Jaq and her other mice and bird friends worked so hard to make for her before her step-mother sent a sneering grin her way.

"Goodnight." Tremaine said before she finally closed the door.

Cinderella only stood there, her head shaking from side to side before she finally let out a sob and ran off.

But instead of running through the kitchens to take the back way towards the garden like she always did in the movie, she went up the stairs and disappeared through the door that led to her room in the attic; Which made Toony open the door wider as she stared up at the attic door with a look of shock on her face...this was just like the time when Aurora climbed out of her window, _another_ weird inconsistency!

Cinderella wasn't supposed to run up into her room, the fairy godmother was waiting for her in the garden!

Once she was sure that the lady Tremaine and her daughters were gone, she raced out of the lounge and up the stairs to follow after the young maiden.

" _Stop!_ " came a gruff order as once again Shadow stopped her by taking her wrist.

"Just _what_ the hell do you hope to accomplish going up there?" he demanded. "Did you not see what just happened?! It would be in her best interest to give her some space!"

"This isn't how it's supposed to be!" Toony told him, as she tried to pull her arm from his grip, but Shadow held fast.

"Her only memorabilia of her mother was ripped to shreds and she ran up to her room to cry." the hedgehog recapped. "How _else_ was it supposed to be?!"

Toony blinked down at him in surprise after his question. " Do you even know how the story of Cinderella is supposed to go?"

"I don't have too, what I _do_ know is that sometimes bad things happen to good people; it's unfortunate, but it's the cold, hard truth!" the black hedgehog told her. "And no matter how angry we get or how unfair it is, there's not a damn thing we can do to change it!"

"The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be!"

"Not with this!" Toony told him firmly as she finally got her arm out of his grip. "Maybe I can't fix every problem I come up against, but I sure won't just give up without trying!"

"And as long as this tells me that I still have a chance to change things for the better..." the fox eared woman added as she held up the arm that wore the bangle, showing that none of the diamonds were glowing. " Then I'm going to listen to it!"

"Why don't you listen to _me_ instead...I'm dragged out here to be a protector for an over grown child who's on a mission she treats like a game, then, I'm stuck watching you play housekeeper with a complete stranger that you gush and fawn over like a fan meeting her idol, and now in a situation like this, where you go off spouting about seeing a chance to help when it _isn't_ there?!" Shadow ranted, his voice growing in volume with each word. "You're just as naive as you are completely _moronic!_ "

Cheo and Hiromi let out sharp little gasps at his cruel statement and the air was then filled with a tense silence as Toony and Shadow glared at each other; The fluffballs were worried that Toony would go off on him, but after a few moments, their creator was the first to finally break away as her shoulders seemed to sag with defeat.

But instead of looking angry, she just appeared to be very disappointed...

"If that's how you want to think of me, then _fine_ , lord knows once you get an idea in your head it's impossible to make you feel otherwise..." She told him softly as a fire still seemed to dance behind her gray-green eyes. "So let me just say I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry you're stuck here with such a stupid person like me, I'm sorry that I can't be rough and cold or just turn off my feelings, I'm sorry I can't be more like _you_...but I am _not_ gonna leave Cinderella all by herself."

"Even if there wasn't a chance, even if I can't make it better, even if all I can give her is a shoulder to lean on and spend all night with her as she cries, then _that's_ what I'll do!" And at that, she turned on her heel, threw open the door and started up the staircase to Cinderella's room without giving Shadow so much as a second look.

Shadow watched her leave until the door closed itself back up, but the moment it was shut, he found himself getting yelled out by the two little powderpuffs that were always at her side.

"Why'd you say such mean things to her, Shadow?!" Hiromi demanded, her tuft tail bristling with anger.

"Yeah! Toony only wants to help!" Cheo added just as visibly livid with the red and black hedgehog as well. " And she's only ever tried to be nice to you this whole time, even when you weren't!"

"Why're you such a bully?!"

Shadow only gave a loud, heated _'humph!_ ' as he turned his back to them, but even as he appeared not to be fazed by the whole thing, the argument still went on in his mind...

He was only speaking the truth, he had no real business on this quest...but still he was here. And upon his arrival, he often questioned where this woman, who seemed to have a little too much air between her ears, had her priorities; _Especially_ when she just opted to waist everyone's time offering to help Cinderella with her chores when she had her own job to do trying to figure out how to move on from this world.

 _He_ wasn't the one in the wrong here...was he?

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 **And that's it for chapter 20! Wow, I think this makes THP my longest story yet! O3O  
**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I still have 1(or possibly 2) chapters to go before it gets put on hold again. Be sure to let me know of any errors or if there's gaps that might have slipped by me! :D**

 **And thanks so much for reading!**


	21. Of Dreams and Sorrow, Part 3

**And here we go, with a little over 10,000 words, chapter 21 is finally up and finished:D:D:D*faints*  
**

 **Lol, now I would have had this up yesterday since it was supposed to be my day off, but I was asked to cover for someone who called in sick at the last minuet; But it's all good, that just means I earned a little extra moola for later X3.**

 **Now, before I let you go, let me spend a moment to thank my readers.**

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 **NatNicole:** I know what you mean, maybe it's because it just has a very real feel to it as there _are_ people out there, as sad as it is, who are just so mean and rotten that relish in making others feel miserable(And honestly, the grotto scene always used to make me feel more angry than scared XD).

Lol, and that was a great way to put it, they both have points while also having faults. Hopefully they'll end up evening each other out as the story progresses XD XD XD

 **And to those who were sweet enough to favorite and follow my story, thank you all so very, very, _very_ much! I sincerely hope you continue to enjoy it!**

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 **Alrighty then, I hope you enjoy the new chapter guys! :D:D:D**

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 _Chapter 21: Of Dreams and Sorrow, Part 3_

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"These frikken stairs, it should be _illegal_ to have this much in one house!" Toony growled to herself.

When she left Shadow to himself downstairs, she tried to keep a brisk pace as she scaled up the many steps to Cinderellas' room. Though after a while, she ended up having to bend over and keep going with the help of her hands like she did many times as a child running up stairs.

But she had to come to a stop when she noticed something going on with her bracelet. And as she brought it up to get a closer look, she blinked in confusion to see that the blue diamond, which was once such a bright color before, suddenly began to change until it ended up becoming a duller looking, grayish shade...that didn't seem right.

"What the..."

"Toony! Toony!" A little voice called out to her, making her look over to see Jaq leading Gus and two other little boy mice out from the darkness of the dreary stair case. "It's-a bad!"

"Yeah! Very Bad-bad!" Gus agreed.

"Something wrong with Cinderelly!" the other two cried out together as they all frantically pointed up the stairs.

Toony felt a surge of urgency as she looked up in the direction of Cinderellas' room before she held out her hands to the mice. And once they had a secure place on her shoulders, she was on the run again, ignoring her burning lungs and the stitches she was getting in her sides until she finally made it to the door.

But as she reached for the handle to push it open, she paused when her ears suddenly caught something...

 _ **In this house, trapped and alone, it was pointless to believe you could be happy even for a moment.**_

 _ **...they always win but still you tried.  
**_

The sound of many whispering voices, hissing such awful things...it was the same thing she had heard back in

 _ **There is no room for hope in this world so filled with heart ache...dreams are nothing but cruel lies.  
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 _ **You did this to yourself, you foolish child...and you know it  
**_

"Cinderella!" Toony yelled as she finally burst into the room to find... _nothing_.

There was no one in the room beside Cinderella and herself. Her other mice and bird friends where all around the room, looking so sad for their dearest friend as she sat on her bed, crying into her hands...they couldn't possibly have been the ones who were saying all those terrible things to her.

"Are...are you alright?" the fox eared woman numbly asked as she spun around a few times to see if she could catch a glimpse of something that she might have missed before; She got many odd looks from the birds and mice as she did that, but it seemed that Cinderella was too distraught to notice that she was even there as she kept her face buried in her hands.

"Oh..." Cinderella sobbed, making Toony stop and look down at the poor young lady. "My dress, my mothers dress..."

"Cinderella, I'm so sorry," Toony began softly as she knelt down before her.

"I _tried._ " Cinderella interrupted. "I tried so hard to believe I could be happy one day, but now I finally see, hopes and dreams mean nothing, I'm _meant_ to be trapped here..."

"I wish I could just _disappear!_ "

"Oh honey, _no_ , don't let what happened make you say those things!" Toony began encouragingly, but she stopped when she suddenly heard it again...those hissing voices she had heard only moments before, now they sounded so close.

 ** _It's no use..._**

 ** _It's pointless...all so pointless..._**

 ** _Just disappear..._**

She looked around Cinderellas' side, and there she finally saw it as she jumped up to her feet, her eyes wide with shock to see that crawling up from over the other side of the bed was that same inky black mass that attacked her and her friends back on the Phoenix.

It was smaller in size, at first, but it seemed to be growing larger and larger by the second as arms began reaching out with clenching hands that seemed so eager to grab hold of something...

Get out!" Toony cried, earning many surprised expressions from Cinderellas friends. Couldn't they see what she saw? "Get out and hide! _All_ of you, get out of here!"

They still didn't understand, but after seeing how frightfully upset she was, with the exception of Jaq and his friends as they were still on her shoulders, they did as they were told and hurried either out the window to their nests or to the safety of their mouse holes while Toony watched as the thing loomed over behind Cinderella and slowly started reaching towards her.

 _ **Just disappear!**_

Before it could put a single finger on her, Toony finally broke herself out of her frozen stupor and leapt to her feet, grabbing Cinderella by wrist and yanking her off the bed before she pulled her several feet away from the bed; Startling the young girl with her sudden action as she looked up, causing Toonys falter just a bit when she saw that Cinderellas once lively, beautiful eyes now looked so dull and void of any kind of emotion besides grief.

But Toony didn't stare for long as she enveloped the young lady in a protective hug. And even though the fox eared woman didn't yet understand what the strange black mass was doing here or how she was supposed to stop it, she still refused to let it anywhere near Cinderella!

"I know you're hurt, Cinderella, and I understand that you feel like it's all hopeless, but despite all that's happened you can _still_ have your chance!" she told her, almost shouting it as she glared at the writhing mass from over Cinderella's shoulder. "Now, more then ever, you _have_ to hold on to your faith! Don't stop dreaming, never stop believing!"

"You _are_ meant for happiness!"

"Cinderelly has-ta listen!" Jaq added in. "Won't be bad forever, got mice-mice and _everybody_ here too!"

"U-uh, yeah!" Gus agreed. "We _love_ Cinderelly!"

Toony kept her eyes on the pitch black cloud as it still tried to reach out to the young girl until she felt Cinderella move slightly. She hesitated for a moment, but she soon hugged her back in a light embrace. That was when a soft golden light caught Toonys' attention and her eyes drifted down to see that her bangle was glowing before the dullness of the blue diamond seemed to go away.

And at the same time, even though Toony couldn't see it, Cinderellas eyes slowly turned back into that beautiful, vibrant color they always were before while the smoky mass of hands suddenly shuddered and halted its advance, much to Toonys' surprise as the two women stayed like that for just a little longer before the young maiden was the first to pull out of the embrace.

Tears still in her eyes as she shook her head furiously.

"No, I...I just _couldn't!_ " Cinderella cried, before running around Toony and out of her room.

"Cinderelly!" the four mice cried.

"Wait!" Toony started, but she stopped when the mass started to move again, and this time she could hear the voices moaning and crying out as though something important had been lost to it while the hands reached out towards the door as it moved itself off the bed.

Was it intending to follow after Cinderella?

Toony only sent it a seething glare before she then ran out the bedroom door herself and slammed it shut before it got any closer. Then, she grabbed the handle and pulled hard against it, crying out a bit just when it felt like it ran into the door before it started pulling as well to get the door back open.

She didn't know how long this would hold up, but she had to try and keep Cinderella safe for a long as she could!

"Jaq, you and Gus take your friends and run!" Toony ordered in a strained voice.

"But what about Toony?" Jaq asked worriedly. "Can't stay, not safe!"

"No-no! Not safe at all!" the others agreed.

"I'll be fine, but you guys need to make sure Cinderella is okay!" Toony ground out as the door rattled. "Now go on!"

They still looked like they wanted to protest, but they were so worried for Cinderella that they heeded Toonys' order, climbing down the back of her outfit and sliding down her tail to the floor before they scurried into the unknown to find Cinderella.

Toony would have let out a sigh of relief after they were safely away, instead, she gave a sharp gasped after a particularly strong pull on the door nearly made her loose her balance. So she quickly pulled it back and lifted up a foot to braced it against the wall.

"Oh no you don't!" Toony stated, her teeth clenched with determination. "I'm not going to let you out so you can hurt her!"

"Why don't _you_ just disappear?!"

There was one more very strong yank that ripped the door handle right out of her fingers, and as she was bracing herself pretty hard trying to keep the door closed, Toony fell back with a loud cry and hit the wooden floor with a force that nearly sent her rolling down the stair case; Her head spun for a moment, but a chilling wail brought her attention back up to see that the obsidian heap was looming over her, reaching with those grasping hands as she stared up at it with wide eyes not knowing what to do to save herself...

" _Chaos Blast!_ "

Toony gasped as a crackling green ball of energy shot over her and hitting the writhing cloud square in the middle, ripping a hole through it and sending it reeling back with a series of inhumane shrieks before her protector came sailing down and landing right before her.

"Shadow!" Toony cried, feeling _extremely_ happy to see him!

The black and red hedgehog only clenched his fists and prepared to fight as he shot across the floor in the blink of an eye, sending a powerful punch and a swift round house kick into the horde of hands. Those didn't seem as effective on it as it tried to grab at him, but he didn't even let it touch him as his left hand crackled with green light and he struck it with another blow of chaos energy.

Once again, screams filled the air as Shadows attack seemed to burn pieces of it away, making it seem to shrink smaller in size while it retreated back into Cinderellas room; Shadow prepared to attack again, but wasn't able to execute it as the shrieking black matter grabbed the door and quickly slammed it shut.

When all was quiet and still, Shadow turned back and walked over to Toony who had just watched the whole confrontation in awe while she sat upon the floor .

"Thank you, Shadow." She said gratefully, finally breaking the silence.

She expected him to scoff at her again, and even as his hardened expression remained unchanged, she was surprised when all he did was offer out a gloved hand to her. Surprised, but that still didn't stop her from giving a smile as she accepted it and let him help her back up.

They couldn't stand and talk for long though as they turned back towards the room where the mass of hands had shut itself in. And after Toony gathered up her nerve and slowly put her hand back on the door handle it pushed open with hardly any resistance; Opening the door wider, they two of them looked further in to see if it might have been hiding somewhere, but nothing could be found.

The room was completely empty..

It was then that Toony looked to the open window, and she felt her gut grow cold with ice. The thing was practically like a big cloud, if it had gotten out through there, then there was a good chance that it would still go after...

"Cinderella!" Toony started fearfully. "Shadow, that thing might still be after her!"

"Where would she have gone?" the black and red hedgehog questioned.

She hesitated, in the movie, Cinderella was supposed to run outside to the garden after her dress got ripped up. But after running up to her room like she did, she honestly couldn't say where in this whole house the young lady would have gone to next with certainty...

"Toony!" a voice yelled. "Shadow!"

The two of them looked over to see her two winged fluffballs come flying in as fast at their little wings could carry them, and worried looks on their fuzzy faces.

"We saw Cinderella run outside!" Cheo said. "She was crying!"

"Did you see where outside?" Toony asked urgently.

"Um, I think behind the house, where that old water fountain is!" Hiromi told her.

Toonys' heart leapt with hope, the fountain was in the garden! She made to run out of the room and back down all of those stairs, praying that Cinderella was really there, but she had to stop when Shadow reached out with almost lightning speed and grabbed her by the hand.

"Too slow." He stated before he suddenly yanked her down until he had her cradled in his arms and turned towards the window.

Toonys' gray green eyes widened and she let out a horrified gasp when she realized what he was intending to do, she struggled to get out of his grasp, but it was just no use.

"Wait! Wait! You are _not_ gonna-" She let out a yelp when he jumped up on the windowsill while she became dizzy from how far away the ground looked. " _Shadow!_ "

Shadow ignored her protests as Toony was left to squeeze her eyes shut, hold him tightly around the neck and let out a terrified scream when she felt him jump out into open air. He paid her no mind however as he kept his focus on his path when he landed on the old tile roof top, his hover shoes kicking on before he effortlessly skated across the house until he finally caught sight of a shallow fountain that rested by a weeping willow tree.

So with one last leap, Shadow sailed down until he landed behind a stone gate that stood between them and the garden before he set Toony down and let her collapse into a heap on the ground while Cheo and Hiromi were unable to hold back giggles at their poor creators disheveled state.

And once Toonys' heart rate was finally back to normal, she slowly sat up and sent her protector a dirty look.

"Do not _ever_ do that _again!_ " She growled.

"...I _can't_ believe, not anymore..." They suddenly heard Cinderella sob. "There's nothing left to believe in... _nothing._ "

"Nothing my dear? Now, you don't _really_ mean that."

If Toony had her pixie dust, she would have flown across the sky from the sheer amount of joy she felt at the sound of that kindly voice that spoke so gently as she quickly got up to her feat and raced to the end of the gate. Feeling like she could have done the happy dance right then and there when she saw that at the carved stone bench underneath the willow tree, the young girl was unwittingly resting her head upon the lap of a old woman with snow white hair and dressed in a hooded, periwinkle robe that was tied with a magenta bow under her chin.

All the while her kindly, rounded face smiled down at her as she stroked Cinderellas' strawberry blonde hair in a comforting manner.

"Oh but I do..I-" Cinderella began, but she was cut off by a rather stern interjection.

"Nonsense, child!" The fairy godmother chided. "If you had lost _all_ your faith, then I couldn't be here, and here I _am_."

And while Cinderella slowly looked up, taking in a breath of surprise as she wondered where this woman came from, a flicker of light brought her attention back down to see that the magenta colored diamond on her bangle was glowing brightly.

Toony slumped against the gate, feeling absolute relief that she managed to complete another mission and that Cinderellas' story seemed to be back on track as she watched the fairy godmother fuss about her. Unable to stop a soft laugh as she watched the funny old woman try to find her wand in her robes so she could work that wonderful magic of hers.

"Who's that lady, Toony?" she heard Hiromis' voice ask as she and Cheo started curiously at the little old woman.

"She's Cinderellas' fairy godmother, hun." Toony said, they both of them letting out gasps of wonder when they saw her pull a skinny white wand from thin air. "She's here to make everything better."

The crunching of gravel met her ears, and she turned to see Shadow, staring at the scene before him; He did a great job hiding any kind of reaction upon seeing the fairy godmother, but Toony had a little feeling that he was just as surprised to see her there as Cinderella and her fluffballs were.

"Ha! How's _that_ for naive?" Toony teased as she showed him her bracelet with the glowing diamond.

"Whatever." he rebuffed, crossing his arms over his white furred chest. "You still don't know how you even did it."

"You just can't let me have _anything_ , can you?" she demanded. But it was half hearted as she felt a bit too tired to argue over it. And if her bangle was giving the signal, then it was probably about time for them get back to the pier where Marie was waiting for them at the Cosmic Phoenix.

"Anyway, we should start heading back now." she announced as she pushed away from the stone gate and dusted off her skirt.

"What about your friend?" Shadow asked, nodding towards the pair across the way.

Toony looked over at Cinderella as she watched her fairy godmother performed her wondrous magic, a look of wonder and awe upon her face as she was watching miracles come true with her very eyes before the fox eared woman only gave a soft smile.

"She's gonna be just fine." She said as she started back down the road to town. "After tonight, she'll have everything she ever dreamed of and more."

Cheo and Hiromi seemed a bit surprised that she didn't want to at least say goodbye, but when Shadow began to follow after her they quickly joined in suit and left Cinderella and the fairy godmother to themselves as they prepared for the royal ball; Their trip was a rather quiet one as they trekked down the dirt path with nothing but the moon and stars to light their way, but just before they reached the village, a voice cutting through silence made them stop.

"Toony! Oh please wait!"

At the call of her name, Toony looked over her shoulder to see that familiar, beautiful white pumpkin coach, which seemed to glow so brightly, pulling up before she turned to Shadow and her fluffballs.

"You guys go ahead, okay?" Toony said as the carriage came to a stop and the footman, who had once been Bruno the dog, opened up the door. "I'll catch up in a bit."

Nodding in understanding the three of them continued up the way and disappeared into the darkness of the quiet little town while Cinderella stepped out. Her hair done up in a beautiful up-do, a black velvet ribbon tied about her neck and dressed in that amazing gown that to this day had no equal in terms of elegance and beauty.

"Cinderella, _look_ at you!" Toony stated, looking her magical dress up and down, seeing it in person like this...words just couldn't express how breathtakingly gorgeous it really was. "Wow, hands down, you're the most beautiful girl in the whole kingdom!"

"It's thanks to my fairy godmother for all of this." Cinderella said with a bashful, but happy smile as she looked down at her lovely, silvery blue gown and beautiful glass slippers before she suddenly remembered why she stopped the coach in the first place. "Oh, you left so quickly, I didn't get the chance to thank you too."

"Nah, I didn't do anything, so no need for thanks." Toony told her, waving a dismissive hand as she flashed her a big grin. "You just get outta here and have some fun, midnight will be here before you know it if you keep hanging around."

"Won't you come with me?" the young maiden asked, clasping her gloved hands imploringly. "I really do want to thank you for all did for me today."

Toony was a little taken aback by the very generous invitation, but while in truth she would have like to go with her, she only smiled and shook her head.

"I'd love to, but I'm not really dressed for a ball." Toony said apologetically as she looked down at her own outfit, which looked so plain next to Cinderellas'. "I'll take a hug, though, if that's alright with you."

Cinderella gave her a most brilliant smile and nodded her head before the two of them embraced.

But after the very moment they had touched, Toony blinked when she saw the magenta diamond flicker once before a bunch of little sparkling lights started appearing all around her until her hair and entire body was almost completely covered, making her and Cinderella pull away from each other just as the glittering sparkles seemed to melt away leaving Toony standing there in a gown of her very own...

It was a large ball gown that was a _little_ similar to Cinderellas, but Toonys' was a bright golden dress that had a white, ruffled and tiered front with a bodice that had a pale yellow rose right in the middle with lacy straps that elegantly hung off her shoulders; There was another yellow rose stitched to the sash that was tied about her waist and on her hands were long white gloves and while a decorative, yellow lace headband sat upon her head which had bundles of more, smaller yellow roses that perfectly hid her ears from view as her long red hair was done into tight curls that bobbed about her bare, freckled shoulders almost weightlessly.

"Oh Toony, you look lovely!" Cinderella cooed, fawning over her dress with admiration while Toony looked down at her bangle in amazement. "I simply _must_ insist that you come with me to the ball!"

"Well, I really shouldn't...but it would be such a shame to waste a pretty gown like this." Toony slowly stated before a rather excited smile appeared on her face. "I guess an hour or two couldn't hurt anything."

"TOONY!" two little voices yelled out together before she felt arms wrap around her middle that made her look down to see two well dressed children smiling up at her.

"Toony look at us! We're like you now!" the boy stated excitedly who, like the little girl that was with him, couldn't have been no older that five or six.

the fox eared young woman only stared down at them in confusion, but before she could ask them who they were, she suddenly caught sight of small, feathery white wings, long tuft tails and looking into those familiar blue and green eyes, she finally understood who they were.

"Holy muffins, Cheo and Romi?!" Toony stated in absolute surprise. "Is that really _you?_ "

Cheo was dressed up in a cute little sailor style suit and knickers that were white with a blue collar and trim, and about his curly brown hair sat a white cap with a blue ribbon hanging over the side from the middle of it; Hiromi almost resembled a life sized version of those adorable porcelain dolls with her big blue eyes and blushing round cheeks as her lighter brown curls that were pinned back with a large pink hair bow while she wore a tiered white dress which had pink ribbons, bows and frilled puff sleeves.

"We turned into people!" Hiromi said in joy, twirling in her dress. "We came back as fast as we could to show you!"

"But how did this _happen?_ " Toony asked, putting a hand over their cheeks, still hardly believing that this was real. They were so adorable as children!

"Maybe it's the same as when we could talk to Tinkerbell." Cheo told her. "Whatever magic happens to you, happens to us too! And look, it'll work for _him_ now too!"

She looked up as he pointed to a tall figure that was slowly stepping out from the bushes until she saw that it was a rather tall young man that looked to be in his early to mid 20's; Dressed up in a black coat that looked fit for nobility as it was adorned with golden buttons, tasseled shoulder pads, elegant embroidery and a short, embellished red cape that attractively draped over his right arm as it golden ties were fasted diagonally across his chest.

He was also rather handsome with tan skin and an angular face that was framed by long black hair with bright red streaks in it.

Toony couldn't help but note that he would have been a little more good looking if his expression wasn't so rigid and filled with animosity, but as she took in those all too familiar narrowed red eyes...

"Wait a seconded..." She started before her mouth dropped open in realization. " _Shadow?!_ "

"What did you _do?!_ " He growled out in a tone that told her he was using every fiber of his being not to use his chaos powers on someone.

"How wonderful!" Cinderella stated happily, somehow missing Shadow's agitation. "Would you all like to come to the ball with us as well? It may be a little snug, but I'm more than happy to share my carriage with you."

"Do you not see what's happened?!" Shadow snapped, actually flustered enough to loose his usually stoic demeanor as he gestured wildly to himself. " Maybe if we just get back to the boat, we'll change back!"

"Actually, we'd _love_ to go to the ball with you." Toony said, almost like she hadn't heard a word that Shadow had said.

"I am not a human, I'm a hedgehog! The _ultimate lifeform!_!" Shadow growled out. "And I will not spend another moment in this body simply because _you_ want to-"

But his rant was cut short as Toony held up a finger to shush him before she pulled him along by the arm to talk with him privately.

"Shadow, I think you're stressing out over something that seriously _isn'_ t that bad!, and from where I see it you have two options to choose from here..." Toony began in an authoritative tone. " The first is you'll either have to drag me back to the Phoenix yourself, of which I _promise_ I'll make the rest of your time with us a miserable as possible if it ends up not changing you back, _or_ , you can just come to the palace and hang out with us for a little while as there's just a little over a few hours left until midnight."

"...I _strongly_ suggest you go with option two if you value your sanity."

Shadows mouth opened and closed a couple of times, he obviously wanted to protest, but as he took in Toonys' surprisingly serious expression along with the pleading, wide eyes looks of the two children and Cinderella, he finally relented with a loud, angry huff before he turned heel and climbed up into the pumpkin carriage.

"Are we going or not?!" he demanded hotly.

Toony and Cinderella only smiled at each other as the fox eared woman had Cheo and Hiromi go in with Cinderella before she climb inside the carriage as well and closed the door; Never realizing at all that their carriage was being watched, as it started on through the village to the palace, by the woman dressed all in black and wearing a principal mask on her face.

She stood upon the rolling, pitch black mass as it hovered high in the air like an ominous storm cloud, staring down the retreating white pram with an almost smoldering glare before her attention was brought away by a soft hissing sound when what was left of the inky horde she had sent into Cinderellas' room came slithering towards her.

Wordlessly, she lifted up both of her hands and allowed it to come in close to her, stroking it almost tenderly as if she was trying to ease away any pain it might still be in before she gestured downward were it slunk down around her until it was absorbed within the rest that sat under her feet.

And as she spared one last glace at the castle that was where her foes were heading, she finally turned her face upward before they soared up higher and higher until they disappeared into black, starry sky...

* * *

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

 _At the Royal Palace..._

 ** _..._**

 ** _..._**

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* * *

It truly was a rather tight fit for all of them inside the small carriage as it was really only made for one person, two at the most. But they made it work, and thankfully, they didn't have to be that way for long when they finally rolled through the towering castle gates and up to the big, extravagant door which were opened wide to welcome visitors for the evening.

But once Toony, Shadow, Cheo and Hiromi stepped out of the carriage, they ran into a little bit of trouble...

" _Halt!_ " a tall, imposing soldier began in a firm tone as he held his spear out to stop them from going any further.

"I'm sorry madam, but this ball is for _eligible_ maidens and their families!" He stated, his eyes looking down at her wedding band before they moved over the faces of Cheo and Hiromi and finally settled, rather mistrustfully, on Shadow. "I'm afraid bachelors, matrons and children are not allowed to attend."

Lucky for them, however, Cinderella was the one who came to their rescue.

"Oh please, sir, I asked them to come with me this evening." Cinderella began as she stepped out to meet him with her imploring gaze. "My father passed away long ago, so I thought that it would be alright if my dear friends came in his stead."

"Won't you please let us all through? Just this once?"

"Er, well...oh alright." he finally relented, his cheeks turning the barest hint of red upon speaking with such a beautiful young lady before he cleared his throat and regained his composure. "But just as long as _he_ doesn't try and fraternize with the young ladies who are attending!"

"Trust me, that _won't_ be a problem." Shadow promised with a roll of his eyes as they followed Cinderella past the large doors.

There two were long lines of uniformed guards on each side of them as they entered that watched them as they walked along through the palace, or more specifically, watched the enchantingly beautiful young maiden as she took in the spectacular sights around her with wonder and just a bit of nervousness at how much bigger it was than what she imagined every time she looked at it from her window. And just before they reached the stairs that would take them to the ballroom, Toony had her humanized friends stop in their tracks.

"Go on ahead hun, I just wanna tell these guys a few things." Toony said when the young girl noticed that they weren't following her anymore while the fox eared woman put her hands Cheo and Hiromis' shoulders. "We'll be right behind you."

Cinderella still seemed a bit unsure to go on by herself, but she was also so excited to see just what would be waiting for her at the top of those stairs and did as Toony said. And when she was alone with her friends, she turned and knelt down before Cheo and Hiromi who both waited patiently to hear what she had to say.

"Now, Cheo, Romi, let's keep in mind a few rules while we're here, okay?" Toony told them in a low voice as she started adjusted the collar of Cheo's suit and dusted off the front of Hiromi's dress a mother would to make her children more presentable. "I don't mind you guys having fun and exploring, but try not cause any trouble and don't talk to anyone you don't know if you can help it."

"But if someone happens to come along and they're curious about who you are, be polite and just let them know that a guest invited you." She added before fussing over their hair a bit, too. "Oh, and if they ask about your wings or tails, just tell them that they're part of your outfit, okay?"

"Okay, Toony, we will!" Cheo promised as he and Hiromi nodded in understanding before they ran up the stairs laughing and giggling before they disappeared from sight.

"And Shadow," She began, standing up to face him as she attempted to adjust his cape before he just pushed her hands away, stepping around her before he began to walk away while Toony followed close beside him. "Please, please, _please_ don't hurt anyone."

"No blasting, no punching, no rude remarks..." she listed off her fingers. "In fact, why don't you just try and avoid people in general."

"I make no promises." he said with a sneer and walked off to who knows where before Toony could say anything more.

Toony stuck out her tongue at his retreating back, but as she found herself alone now, she decided to just use her free time to explore. She was surrounded by people of nobility and prestige, all of them dressed to impress and show off their wealth and power as they chatted amongst themselves.

But when the lights suddenly dimmed as the familiar, romantic notes of the waltz reached her ears, everybody quieted down and turned their attention to the center of the room; And following their gaze, she smiled as she saw the two dancing figures of Cinderella and prince Henry.

This was one of her most favorite moments every time she watched the movie. Because even though the both of them were right there for everyone to see, if you looked... _really_ paid attention to their faces as they gazed into each others eyes, it was clear to see they were already so enamored with each other, that they in a whole other universe.

Where it was just the two of them together.

And as the rest of the visitors were watching their prince dance with this mysterious new maiden, Toony looked over to see that Cheo and Hiromi were helping themselves to the contents of the dining table until a series of high pitched coos brought her attention over to poor Shadow, who had found it a _lot_ harder than he thought to avoid the attendants of the ball as he was being hounded by some of the eligible maidens as the prince was obviously so taken with Cinderella.

Shadow tried his best to ignore them, but that just seemed to add to his appeal rather than discourage them.

"Such beautiful eyes, they look just like rubies." one girl commented with a dreamy expression

"Won't you please dance with me, sir?" another young lady with black hair asked as she batted her long lashes at him.

" _No!_ " he growled through gritted teeth. "Get away from me!"

He then briskly tried to move himself from away the crowding women, but they just herded after him as though they were a flock of giggling sheep following a bale of sweet hay.

"Oh I do admire a man so strong and regal!" a girl with blonde curls swooned as she fanned herself a bit

"I wonder what family he's from, they're _obviously_ a prestigious clan." another stated with an impressed smile.

Toony couldn't help but let out a soft laugh as she watched him try to shake his little fan club, and with Cheo and Hiromi still distracted by the snacks and Cinderella dancing away with her handsome prince charming, she decided to take a walk, swaying slightly to the light and airy music while she looked around; The palace was so much bigger than it looked in the movie, and it was elegantly decorated and polished so nicely that every nook and cranny gleamed...it was such a treat to be here in person.

Maybe she could even go out and explore the royal gardens before Cinderella and prince Henry got there.

But her adventuring was soon interrupted when she almost walked right into the figure of a tall man who was wearing a wide brimmed, feathered hat that covered most of his face and very nice blue suit, which seemed fit for royalty, that he wore under a flowing, navy blue cape.

"I'm so sorry about that!" She quickly apologized, but she tilted her head in confusion when he said nothing or go about his way. "Um...can I help you?"

Silently, he held out his hand to her, and once she realized what it was the stranger wanted, she took a step back with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, I...I'm sorry, but I don't dance." Toony said as politely as she could as she took a step back.

Because of his hat, Toony could only see his jaw as his handsome, full lips soon gave her a smile that dimpled his cheeks before he slowly reached up with a hand, taking the brim of his hat in his fingers and pulling it off; And to her surprise, she first caught sight of a fuzzy gray and black wolf ear before catching movement near his long cape, looking down to find a gray tail with black markings flicked out once before it settled back behind it's velvety cover.

And finally, once he moved the hat out of the way completely, Toony couldn't stop a gasp from escaping her as she saw his face...

Whenever she'd draw a character that represented her husband, she always gave him wolf ears and a tail, and seeing this man before her with his thick, curly brown hair attractively framing his handsome face and black rimmed glasses rested on his nose as a pair strikingly beautiful blue eyes looked down at her with a kindly light...it just _had_ to be him!

" _Lynn?_ " she asked in shock.

Instead of answering, he only gave her another smile, putting his hat back on his head before held his hand out to her once more.

Toony still wasn't sure if this was real or not, but that didn't stop her from slowly putting her hand within his...it felt solid.

She gasped when he suddenly pulled her closer, twirling her once before resting his free hand on her waist when she came to a stop just before him and began leading them along with the music; And even though Toony still felt so confused by all this, she eventually just pushed it aside and let her legs move with his until she finally lost herself within the dance.

She didn't know how much time had passed, a few minuets or maybe an hour, she couldn't say for sure. But before long, the other guests within the palace seemed to just disappear one by one, making her feel that it was her and this man, who seemed so much like the one she loved left in the world as they gently swayed to the notes.

And it wasn't until the music began to fade in the air did their dance slow to a stop while Toony still hadn't broken her gaze from him...but after a few more moments, she finally found her voice.

"Is this a dream?"

But all he did was sweetly smile at her as he took a step back, bowing low while he brought Toonys' hand to his lips and gently kissing it before he suddenly disappeared in a glittering shower of magic dust; Blinking in surprise, she looked around to find that she was standing at the stairs that led into the royal gardens completely alone.

Had she seriously just been waltzed out here from the ballroom without her realizing?

"I do hope that wasn't too presumptuous of me," A voice behind her started, making her look around to see the fairy godmother standing there with a smile on her face. " But I thought you would enjoy the ball a little more if you had someone resembling the one _you've_ been dreaming of to share it with."

"If only for a moment."

Toony knew that she probably shouldn't, but she just couldn't help herself as she threw her arms around the elderly fairy and earning a surprised ' _Oh?_ ' from her at the swift and unexpected show of affection.

" _Thank_ you..."Toony said in a sincerely grateful tone, tightening her grip just a tiny bit more as tears beaded at the corner of her eyes. "It was wonderful."

The fairy godmother only smiled as she patted Toony's back, but the hug was soon cut short when they heard foot steps coming their way; The two of them hurried behind a pillar to keep out of sight, but they both dared to peek around around it to see who had arrived...

It was Cinderella and prince Henry, dancing out from the ball room and away from the crowd before they came to a stop, gazing up at one another before they took each others hand and walked down the steps to take a stroll through the gardens and just be each others company.

And the look on Cinderella's face was enough to make Toony's heart swell with joy.

"It's so nice to see our Cinderella so happy..." The kind fairy said, the two of them watching as Cinderella and her prince charming talked the night away. "And we have you to thank for it."

"But, I really didn't do anything..." Toony said. "I mean, if I did, then I have absolutely no idea what it was."

"Nonsense, I wouldn't call chasing away the Noxium 'nothing' at all!"

"The...the _Noxium?_ " Toony asked, wondering if she had heard her right.

"Or just Nox, that's what I've taken to calling them. The pure embodiment of everything that would blight the heart... _nasty_ things they are!" the fairy stated, her nose scrunching up a little. "Nasty and _very_ dangerous, why, if you hadn't banished it from the tower or helped Cinderella regain just enough of her faith, then I would have never been able to come."

"And this night would have been lost to her."

Toony blinked in surprise upon hearing this, she truly felt happy that everything ended up turning out alright for Cinderella, but she felt that the fairy godmother was praising the wrong person.

"Shadow was the one who chased it away." Toony explained before looking down at her bangle as she also remembered what happened in Cinderellas room. "And my bracelet was what helped Cinderella, that wasn't me."

"Sweet child, there is so much more to this that you still have yet to discover." the old woman said as she took Toonys' hand that wore the bangle in a gentle grip and patted the back of it in a motherly fashion.

"Then can you help me understand?" Toony asked.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but my time here is nearly up." the little old woman said apologetically. "Using so much magic in one night, creating miracles _does_ take it's toll, you know."

"Now, isn't it about time you should be on your way, too?" the fairy godmother added with a knowing smile. "You have a long road ahead of you still."

Toony looked up over her shoulder to the clock tower, and sure enough, there was only about twenty-five more minuets before midnight was there; She turned back around to thank the fairy godmother again for all she did tonight, but found herself standing by all herself at the doorway.

She only gave a soft smile however, she had a new diamond glowing, Cinderella was with the man of her dreams, she got to stay with her and see the palace...but now it was time to call it a night and head out once more.

When she slowly ducked out from behind the curtain, she heard a slight snoring sound and turned to see the grand duke sitting in the chair right in front of it. He was supposed to be guarding against prying eyes as prince Henry spent some alone time with his mystery maiden, but the poor guy was just so exhausted after pulling together such a big ball in such a short amount of time...

A hand suddenly clamped down tightly on her shoulder, almost making her shout until she turned to see that it was only Shadow, staring at her as his new human features were set in a look of rage as well as desperation.

" _Get me out of here!_ " he practically hissed as his large fan club were standing off to the side behind him, watching intently as this was the first time their mysteriously aloof and handsome young lord was giving so much attention to another woman.

"Haha, alright, here..." Toony said as she wrapped her arms around his left one and urged him to start walking.

"What are you _doing?!_ " Shadow demanded angrily. "We're heading straight towards them! And would you get off me?!"

"In their eyes, you're escorting your lady friend back home for the night." the red headed woman explained with a little wink. "It makes for a pretty effective repellent."

Blinking in surprise, he looked back to his unwanted followers, and just like she said, every one of them had a obvious expression of disappointment, and even a bit of jealousy, on all of their faces as they began to clear a path when Toony and Shadow walked by towards the exit.

Toony could feel their gazes on her, but she didn't pay them any mind as her thoughts were wandering back to figure that the fairy godmother was generous enough to conjure up for her. And even though she greatly appreciated it all...it still left her heart feeling heavy and wishing that she could have spent a little more time like that.

But, even the sweetest dreams couldn't last forever...

So with a heavy sigh, she laid her head lightly upon Shadow's shoulder and closed her eyes while the humanized hedgehog looked down at her with a raised brow and a disapproving frown.

"Hey..." he started gruffly, though this time, there was the littlest hint of curiosity to it.

"I'm sorry, but...let me pretend you're someone else I know," She began, hugging his arm a bit tighter in case he tried to nudge her off. "Just until we're outside, okay?"

Shadow said nothing as he stared at her for a few moments longer...and surprisingly, all he did was simply turn his face back towards the path as continued to 'escort' Toony to the exit; Cheo and Hiromi, were still hanging around the food table, had taken to dancing around and entertaining the guests when they had noticed that there were two sweet little children here at the ball. But the moment they had noticed that Shadow and Toony were leaving, they bid everyone farewell and hurried across the polished floors to catch up with their friends.

And as soon as they made it outside, Toony finally released Shadow when she saw that Cinderellas' carriage and said goodbye to both Bruno and Frou before she turned to the horses that had once been her little mice friends.

"Goodbye guys." She said as she stroked Jaq and Gus on their noses. "You be sure to take good care of Cinderella, okay?"

"And tell her I said 'thank you' for a wonderful night."

All of them whinnied and nodded their heads at her request, and after Toony sent them all one last smile, she turned back to her companions and nodded her head before they began walking across the cobbled path and then outside the palace gates, finally on their way back to the Cosmic Phoenix.

Their stroll was a rather quiet one, save for Cheo and Hiromi telling Toony all about how nice everyone was and how many tasty treats they got to try. At one point, Toony had to have everyone stop once so she could take off her yellow dancing shoes as they were tarting to bother her feet, but then they were right back on their way.

All the while, Shadow found himself thinking some more about everything that had happened today...he still thought that could have saved so much time and trouble if Toony had been more invested in this mission rather than do the first thing that came to mind and hope for the best. But as he remembered how she had firmly stood by in doing what she could to help that young girl even though things looked so hopeless for her...

Toony may have been a bit of an air head who let her emotions get ahead of her, and even though he knew with _certainty_ that they had completed this mission entirely on accident, they _still_ accomplished it regardless.

And he would be lying if he said that Toony never had only the best interests at heart through it all...

"When I was summoned, it was like something was calling out to me." Shadow suddenly said, referring to one of the first questions she had asked him after he had arrived and joined their party. "And when I heard your voice, I began to _see_ things...it was almost like I was watching it through your eyes, glimpses of what you've seen."

Toony was shocked when Shadow started to make conversation with her...and being _nice_ about it even! But even though she felt totally elated and giddy over it, she kept herself in check as they continued on to the pier.

"Really?" she simply asked, nodding her head in order to urge him to continue with whatever he wanted to say.

"Just bits and pieces, enough to know that there are other worlds out there besides my own and why I know how you seem so familiar towards me." Shadow explained. "I _also_ seem to recall seeing images of myself on TV as well hand drawn pictures... _one_ in particular where I had womens' makeup on my face and wearing a skirt with a daisy on the hem."

At that, he sent her an unamused, sideways glance before he continued on.

"Truth be told, I felt that you were the type of person who enjoyed making me look like a fool simply because you could."

It took a second, but then it finally dawned on her and caused Toony to let out a long, loud laugh as he was referring to a comic that she had made where she happened upon him sleeping and she used the opportunity to clap a skirt on him and then gussy him up a bit with makeup.

"So _that's_ why you seemed much more grouchier than normal." Toony sheepishly stated when she finally got a hold of herself again. "I'm sorry, Shadow, I never meant to make fun of you or imply that you were girly or anything."

When he let out an unconvinced _'humph!'_ , she put a hand on his arm to stop him and look her in the eyes.

"You see, when I was little, I'd dream of having the chance to meet characters like you. Hanging out with you, playing pranks, just interact with you like I would anyone else, and drawing is the closest I can ever get to it." She said earnestly. "What you saw was just a hand drawn wish that we could be, well...friends with each other."

"And you know, there were _other_ pictures that I had drawn of you, too. Didn't you see any of those?" Toony questioned. "It's just a bit hard to believe that you would want to help me if you thought I liked making fun of you."

"It's because I could also feel what _you_ were feeling." He answered. "I could feel your curiosity, your hopefulness...but above it all, you I could feel that you were scared."

"Scared?" Toony asked in confusion, she didn't remember feeling that way when she used the orb...

"You might not have even known at the time, but when you called out to me, I could still feel it." Shadow told her with a nod. "Maria was scared, and even though I was her friend, I wasn't able help her."

"But maybe on this mission, I'll be able to help you...that's why I accepted."

Toony just nodded before they continued on their way in silence as they had finally made it back to the pier, but soon, a cheesy grin slowly began to spread across her face as she started to walk with a little more skip in her step.

" _Sooo_ , does this mean you wanna be friends?" she asked, earning a snort from her protector.

"Don't jump to conclusions, I'm only helping you for Marias' sake." Shadow warned, though he had the barest hint of smirk. "It's what she would have wanted."

"And I'll take that as a good start!" Toony said.

A loud chime booming in the air made the stop and look back at the castle as the large clock announced to the whole kingdom that midnight was finally here.

"And there goes the bell." Toony stated as the clock started to count down before she placed her arms over Cheo and Hiromis' shoulders and began to lead them down the dock they had left the Phoenix. "Shouldn't be too much longer 'til you're all back to your short, fuzzy selves."

" _Aww_ , can't we stay like this a little longer?" Cheo whined in disappointment. "I like being big!"

"I'm sorry Cheo, but I didn't make the rules." Toony apologized while she pulled them both in for a hug. "Besides, I love you both as my sweet little fluffballs."

" _Toony?_ "

They all looked up just as their boat phased back into sight before they saw Marie hurrying down the stairs, her face holding an expression of total confusion.

"What's with the dress?" the dark haired woman asked as she looked Toonys' outfit up and down. "Who're _they?!_ "

But before Toony or either of them could answer her, Toonys' ball gown suddenly disappeared in a cloud of magic dust when the clock struck finally struck twleve and Shadow, Cheo and Hiromi returned to their normal forms. And after everything was finished, Toony smiled with amusement as Marie was practically gaping in astonishment as what she had just witnessed.

"It's a _long_ story..." the red head said with a tired laugh as they all climb up onto the deck of their vessel before she showed Marie the glowing new diamond.

Shadow just hung back against the railing as Marie helped Toony open up the compartment for the bangle that would set their new course, listening as their guide still started sputtering out questions about what had happened, where they had been and why they all looked so different while Toony tried her best to answer a question just as quickly as she received one.

Until a light tapping at his arm brought his attention down to see that Cheo and Hiromi were there, their tails curling as they twiddled their paws nervously.

"Um...We're sorry Shadow." the green eyed fluffball apologized, unable to meet his eyes as he looked at his little feet in shame.

"For?" Shadow questioned, raising a brow.

"We thought you were really bad because you were so mean to Toony at Cinderellas house." Hiromi admitted, looking just as ashamed. "But you helped her when she was in trouble, and you were nicer when we went to the castle...we're sorry we called you a bully."

"Don't worry about it." Shadow said with a careless shrug.

"Can...can you tell us stories of where your from?" Cheo suddenly asked. "Toony said that if we wanted to know you better, then we should ask you."

"But, you don't have to if you don't feel like it..."

Shadow contemplated over it...he usually wasn't one to share his past with anybody much less with people he had just met. But, it was clear that Toony already knew of his history, or a least a good deal of it while Marie appeared to be content just letting him have his privacy.

Perhaps he could make this one exception for these two curious powder puffs who seemed to be sincere in getting to know him better as he'd be stuck on this boat with them for a while.

"50 years ago, I once lived on space ship that was called _'The Ark'_." The ruby eyed hedgehog began. "I was designed and created by a brilliant scientist to be the ultimate life form."

"And there, I had befriended a young girl named Maria..."

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 **Lol, it was pretty fun to turning Shadow into a human for a short time XD**

 **And yeah, I'm gonna be giving names to nameless princes in my story if they happen to make an appearance. And I've noticed that 'Henry' is a popular name for Cinderellas' prince charming...plus he just seems a lot like a Henry to me, so I like it :3 :3 :3.**

 **And it was also time to give the black, cloudy blobs a name too. And you know, I don't actually know if it's been used anywhere before, but 'Noxium' just seemed to be a good name for it as it means 'noxious' or 'infection' in Latin(at least I think/hope, don't quote me on that XP), which is a very good way of describing how it is when things just feel terrible.** **  
**

 **Alrighty, now before I officially wrap this chapter up(and before I forget XD) This story is going back on hold for a bit so I can work on my TLK fanfiction some more.**

 **Thank you all so, so, SO much for reading! And if you happen to notice anything that seems kind of cut off or weird, be sure to let me know so I can fix it up later :3  
**


	22. An Unexpected Detour, Part 1

**Hey there guys, I'm back with another chapter! :D:D:D _Man_ I missed working on this story! **

**I apologize for taking so long, my break on this ended up taking much longer than I thought. Mostly due to work and that I'm giving a bit more attention to my TLK story, but also it's because my husband and I have been working together to prepare for a new arrival X3  
**

 **I don't know how many of you read my 'The Courage Within' fanfiction, but to those that haven't, we're expecting our first baby! XD XD XD It's very exciting for us, but there's so much to do and plan for. And along with that, it's been kinda hard for me to feel awake enough to do much of anything creative for very long(baby makes mommy very sleepy).**

 **Thank you all for your patience, and before you go on to read, let me say a quick thank you to** _ **Solange Griffin**_ **for your very sweet comment :) I hope you continue to enjoy the story!  
**

 **Thanks again guys!**

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 _Chapter 22: An Unexpected Detour_

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" _Uugh_ so _booored_..." Toony groaned in agony as she hung over the side of the railing. "Aren't we any closer _yet?_ "

"If you ask me that one. more. time, I _swear_ I'm gonna turn us right back around to Yen Sid's castle so you can get yourself another guide!" Marie warned as she threw her charge an annoyed glare. "Why don't you go and bother Shadow for a little while?!"

"Can't. He's still spending time talking to Cheo and Hiromi." Toony told her as she flopped over until her head was over the rail and she was looking out at the misty ties upside down. "Plus, he threatened to singe all the fur off my tail if I didn't leave him alone."

Marie shook her head at that statement, she didn't know what this girl did to annoy the hedgehog to that extent, but after a moment of thinking about it she just figured she didn't really want to know.

"Of all the things Yen Sid put in to this boat, I can't believe board games weren't on the list!" Toony exclaimed in exasperation.

"What about all those books in the cabin?" Marie suggested.

"They're all mystery and crime solving books that I really don't have any interest in reading." The fox eared woman sighed. "Other than the 'Fablehaven' and 'Harry Potter' and a couple other fantasy books I saw, but I've already read those _more_ than once back home."

"Then pick a road game." Marie offered

"What, like 'I Spy'?" Toony asked dryly. "All there is to spy is stars out here if you're lucky enough to see them through the mists."

At that, the hazel eyed woman felt she could have popped a blood vessel... _multiple_ blood vessels.

"I really don't give a hoot _what_ you decide to do at this point!" She began irritably. "I like you, Toony, but if you don't think of somethin' _quick_ I'm gonna-"

Though she couldn't get that threat of her own out before everyone on bored gave a loud yell as the Phoenix heaved sharply with a violent jerk, very nearly sending Toony flipping over the side and into the depths of the swirling ties.

"Okay, Okay! I'll stop talking!" Toony cried giving Marie an flabbergasted expression while she practically flattened herself to the floor of the deck. "Just don't do that again!"

"That wasn't me!" Marie stated with alarm before the Phoenix gave another jarring shudder that made everyone shout as they just barley were able to brace themselves from falling over.

"What's happening?!" Hiromi asked in terror as Shadow let Cheo and herself cling to him from his place at the bottom deck while he looked all around, trying to find the source of whatever was hitting them. It didn't take long when he suddenly notice something rise into sight from the corner of his eye behind their vessel and he fixed the aggressor with a fearless glare.

"We've got company!" he announced loudly, making Marie and Toony look over as well.

Their eyes widened to see that it was the woman with the porcelain mask, standing upon a huge Noxium mass like it was the giant, evil version of the nimbus cloud from 'Dragonball' while her long cape and dress flapping behind her as though they were an ominous pair of black wings.

"It's her!" Toony yelled in disbelief and anger that this nut job was once _again_ attacking their boat completely unprovoked. "Just what is her _issue_ with us?!"

"Whatever it is, it lookin' like she wants to do _more_ than just get our attention this time!" Marie stated.

And as if to prove that right, the woman raised up her arms and thrust them both out towards them while huge, inky black pillars shot out from the Nox like two high powered jet streams. Shadow reacted in that instant, moving the two fluff balls away from him before he jumped int the air.

Cheo and Hiromi quickly speed over to Toony, the fox eared woman quickly taking them in her arms as she worriedly watched her protector fly out on the offensive.

"Shadow, be careful!" Toony cried.

The only head Shadow seemed to make for her plea was in raising a hand in the air, a spear of crackling chaos energy appearing from thin air before he heaved it at one of the black streams that were hurtling in their direction, spiting it right down the middle and earning a blood curdling screech from the Nox as the assaulted part of it seemed to disintegrate.

He then closed both of his hands into tight fists that flickered with green sparks and sent a punch to the other, but to his surprise, it suddenly curved and avoided his punch before it continued on and landed another direct hit on their vessel; It struck them so hard, Toony and Marie was sure that it was gonna send them into a full on spin, it didn't thank goodness, but upon upon that collision they heard something snap loudly and a long crack suddenly appeared across the floor of the bottom deck.

Making them all come to the realization of just what it was she was trying to do before the woman in black signaled for another attack.

"We ain't gonna make it to the star before she tears this whole boat apart!" Marie yelled as she flung to wheel into a spin and veered the Phoenix sharply to the left to avoid another nasty hit from the Nox, sailing it through to mists of the ties. "We need to change our course!"

"She'll tear it apart _anyway_ if we keep this pace!" Toony told her fearfully. "Can't this thing go any faster?!"

It couldn't really, because as a sailboat the Cosmic Phoenix had no engines, so they had to rely on the steady breezes that would come through the ties to fill their sails and keep them going on their way.

Though before anyone could say or do anything more, Shadow had stopped his attack upon hearing Toonys' question and was back on the boat. He didn't doubt in his power and ability to take care of the Nox, but he wasn't sure how many more hits the Phoenix could take before it was nothing more than toothpicks.

The smartest plan of action right now would be to make a hasty retreat.

"Leave that to me!" the hedgehog stated as he jumped up into the sails and began spinning around until he just looked like a blurry, black and red ball, creating a strong air current that filled the main sail and sent the Phoenix surging forward.

Maire clutched tightly to the helm hold the boat steady, squinting her eyes and trying her hardest to keep the nose pointed at the closest star she could find, but Toony wasn't quick enough to brace herself as she rolled across deck.

She finally came to a stop sitting on her rear with her back flat against the railing behind Marie, her eyes watering while Cheo and Hiromi clung to the front of her sweater. She couldn't see where they were going, but as she strained and pushed herself to rise up a bit to peek over the rail behind them, she had no complaints as the woman in black and the Nox were becoming smaller and smaller until they were gone in a flash of light after they finally soared through into another world.

That was when their mask wearing assailant finally slowed down, staring at the star they had disappeared through. But rather than continue to chase after them, she seemed to have other plans in mind as she looked back towards the magenta star and silently began to head towards it.

Toony and her friends, however, were in quite a pickle in the new world they arrived in. Whatever pixie dust the boat had left on it was wearing out, and now that they were no longer within the ties, they were beginning to descend towards a rather large looking city at an alarming rate.

"Everyone get inside!" Marie suddenly instructed as she began to lead everyone down to the cabin door. "We'll be safer in there once this thing crashes!"

"What? No! We need more pixie dust!" Toony exclaimed, hurrying towards the compartment that had their supply of dust. But before she could even touch it, Marie took her firmly by the arm and pulled her away as she opened up the cabin.

"We can't!" the dark haired guide told her in a firm tone. "Don't you open up that bag!"

"Marie, we _have_ too!" Toony insisted. "Look at that crack, the Phoenix could break in half the second we hit the ground if we don't do something to slow it down!"

"And we're already falling too fast as it is! We'd lose even more pixie dust to the winds if we open it up now!" Marie explained, a sense of urgency in her voice. "It'll hold, just _trust_ me!"

Toony paused for a moment because on one hand she still wanted to do _something_ to save the Pheonix, if it was destroyed then that would be it, their journey would be over and she would end up stuck in this world forever. Though on the other, as she looked into Maries' eyes, she realized that she _did_ trust her...she didn't know why because they still barley knew each other, but still, there was just _something_ about her that made her feel like she could trust her completely.

Her grandmother always told her to trust her instincts, so maybe she should listen to them now.

"Okay." She relented as she let Marie lead her inside the cabin where Marie immediately took charge.

"Shadow, move everything out of my room!" The guide instructed as she locked the door to prevent even the slightest chance that it might open. "My bed, my dresser, anythin' heavy enough that it could cause harm. Because as soon as we hit, things are gonna be bouncin' higher then a cat after a bird!"

The black and red hedgehog gave a nod and went right to work while Marie had Toony and the fluffballs helped her in moving anything loose closer towards the door. The island stools, the coffee table and the couch and recliner because if things where gonna be flying like Marie said they were, then it was better for them to be as far away as they could make them. But she figured that everything in Toonys sleeping space would be okay since the railing around it was high enough to keep most of the bigger things safely contained.

As soon as they were finished, all five of them huddled within Maries' space, hunkering down and holding on tightly to the thin, black iron banister that added additional support to the Toonys sleeping area to the far left corner as they braced for impact.

"Now what?" Toony whimpered nervously, her heart rate growing faster with every second that passed by in their shuddering vessel while Marie only looked at her, unsure of what to say at first before she simply place a hand over one of Toonys' and kept it there.

"...we pray." she finally answered.

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 _Meanwhile, in the City of St. Canard  
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Unbeknownst to Toony and her friends as they waited to land in this new world, the City of St. Canard was suffering through it's own dilemma at the hands of it's most notorious villain, the evil Negaduck. He'd just gotten away with robbing bank, leaving trails of green bills that had gotten lost to the wind as he sped down the city streets on his red and black motorcycle.

But it wasn't long before he found himself getting tailed by the proclaimed masked defender of St. Canard, Darkwing Duck and his two sidekicks, Launchpad and Gosalyn. He gave Darkwing a pretty good chase, even managed to make it difficult for him to keep up as he would throw bombs to blow him off the road or bear traps and other sharp weapons to at least pop the tires of the Ratcatcher so he could get away.

But Darkwing Duck seemed to evade anything he threw at him and it wasn't long before he found himself off the chase and on the ground in a face off with his annoying lookalike.

"Give it up, _Dipwing_ , you know we're evenly matched!" Negaduck taunted as they slowly circled each other, never breaking eye contact. "I know all you're moves, all your strategies, there ain't _nothin'_ you'll dish out that I can't counter!"

"I suppose I _must_ admit that you may be right," Darkwing Duck shot back. "Despite the fact that you are most assuredly my truculent twin, we _are_ the same in many ways, well, for one other _tiny_ exception..."

"You're shoe's untied."

"What?!" Negaduck demanded as he quickly looked down before a webbed foot from his do-gooder double came flying up and met him square in the jaw.

"Ha!" Darkwing laughed jeeringly. "We don't even wear shoes!"

But his barb fell on deaf ears as Negaduck was more worried about making his head stop spinning as he sat up with a groan. But he finally did manage to snap back to reality when he suddenly felt somthing snap around both of his wrists with a loud _'click!'_

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you put up a good chase Negaduck, but the one thing that you always fail to realize, is that justice will always prevail!"

Gosalyn rolled her eyes as her father, as much as she loved him, went into yet another boasting tirade whenever he won a fight; But not long after he got into it, that was the moment that Launchpad, herself and even Negaduck suddenly noticed something fly out from the clouds. None of them knew what it was at first, but the more Darkwing talked, the more they realized that it was a white sailboat that wasn't flying, but _falling_...and he was currently standing right smack in the middle of where it was gonna come crashing in.

"...the tyranny of evil is no match-" The hero continued on, still completely wrapped up in his soliloquy.

"Uh, Dad?" Gosalyn started, but her father immediately shot her down

"Just a minuet, sweetie, Daddy's still busy." the masked mallard said.

"DW, you should _really_ take a couple steps this way..." Launchpad stated nervously.

" _Launchpad_ , how many times do I have to tell you?!" the purple clad hero snapped, irritated. "A good sidekick never interrupts the heroes victorious monologue!"

"Now as I was saying..." The hero of St. Canard started, clearing his throat while the shadow over him went unnoticed as it got bigger and bigger. "The tyranny of evil is no match for the heroic might of _Darkwiiing_ -"

 ** _Crash!_**

"...Du~uck." came a strained, pain filled grunt as the masked heroes beak and arms were the only things that were exposed from underneath the white boat.

"So, I guess if things are fixing to flatten you, it'll be okay to interrupted the monologue, wouldn't you say dad?" Gosalyn said out loud while crossing her arms, even though she knew she wouldn't receive an answer at this time before Launchpad hurried over and tried to pull him out from the wreckage.

And at that moment, there was a few bangs at the cabin door before it sudden;y swung open and Toony and Marie where the first to fall out on the deck. Shadow calmly looked at them, seemingly unfazed as he held a queasy fluffball in each hand before Marie fixed Toony with an annoyed expression after they spent a few moments just struggling to catch their breath.

"You...are _not_ allowed to be bored... _ever_ again for the duration of this trip!" she ground out.

"M'kay." Toony said weakly, looking a bit green in the face. " _Erp_ , I think I'm gonna be sick..."

While Toony rolled over on her back and tried her hardest not to loose her lunch from earlier, Marie forced her wobbly legs to stand while bracing a hand on the cabin wall, looking left and right at their surroundings and feeling a bit on edge. As this world wasn't their next destination, there was no telling where her spur of the moment choice to get away from the lady in black had brought them.

"Where are we, anyway?" the guide asked.

"I'm not sure..." Toony said as she slowly sat up and gazed around at the tall buildings that seemed to surround them. "I mean, it looks _vaguely_ familiar, but I can't say for certain where we are without-"

She stopped herself from talking as noises from over the side of the boat caught her ears, and after sharing hesitant looks with her companions, she motioned them to stay there while she slowly walked over to see what was going on. Ducking down a bit and hesitantly peeking over the railing for a moment before she gave a gasp and quickly stood to her feet at what she saw.

" _No way!_ "

There was Launchpad McQuack, right there below her as he had a hold of something clad in purple and struggled to pull it from under the Phoenix before it finally came free, revealing it to be none other than _Darkwing Duck_ , one of her favorite childhood heroes! The poor guy was looking flatter than a pancake, but she would recognize him anywhere!

After a moment, Darkwing was back to his old self, a little loopy, but he was just as resilient as she remembered him to be. He looked left and right, a concerned look on his face as he tried to catch sight of the yellow and black clad super villain he had caught only moments before, the motocylce and the sack of money was still there, but Negaduck was nowhere to be found.

Just a lonely pair of empty handcuffs.

And immediately upon that discovery, he rounded on the boat that crashed upon him and allowed his nemesis a chance to disappear.

"What's the big idea?!" He shouted angrily. "You just let one of the worst villains in the world escape!"

Unable to contain her excitement, Toony quickly jumped over the side before Marie or Shadow could stop her. So as soon as Darkwing got a good look at her, his rant died off and he let out a terrified scream before he leapt into Launchpads' arms.

"It's some sort of hideous _mutant!_ " he cried.

Okay, that kind of hurt a little...but she only shrugged it off as that just meant he must not of seen a human at this point. Plus, since she had her fox ears and tail, she must have _really_ looked strange to him.

"Keen Gear! You just came right outta the sky!" A young voice stated excitedly before a red headed duckling Toony recognized as Gosalyn Mallard rushed over to them. "Are you guys some sort of alien life forms? Are you ambassadors of your planet sent here to make peaceful contact with us? Or maybe you're a race of ruthless overlords bent on enslaving the earth so you can use all our resources until you leave nothing a barren husk in your wake!"

She said that last part a little _too_ gleefully, which made Toony let out a nervous laugh as she had nearly forgotten how..."imaginative" Gosalyn was compared to other little girl characters when they would be met with situations like this.

"Er, no, not exactly.." Toony began, trying to figure out exactly what she could tell her.

"Is that a giant duck wearing cloths?" Came a voice from the Phoenix before Toony could explain anything as Marie, Shadow and Cheo and Hiromi emerged and came down to stand with Toony.

Upon seeing that these strange, furless and featherless creatures seemed like they meant no harm, Darkwing had since taken himself from Launchpads arms and began to straighten out his jacket. Though when he saw the black and red hedgehog, his eyes very nearly bugged out of his head from shock.

"Hey! Hey! _Hey!_ " Darkwing shouted as he speed forward and swooped his cape around Gosalyn while he glared at the hedgehog in disgust. "Do you mind?! There is a _child_ present you shameless streaker!"

"Streaker?" Shadow repeated, trying to figure out exactly what the heck he was talking about.

He looked over to Toony when she failed to contain a snort of laughter with her hands and pinned her with a glare that demanded her to explain. Initially she had been as confused as he was upon Darkwing Ducks' comment too, but as she remembered that Shadow and the hero of St. Canard came from different worlds with different views of clothing, she just couldn't help but think it was hilarious.

"He thinks your _naked_ , Shadow." She finally told him, letting out a series of giggles while her protector looked considerably less amused.

Darkwing didn't seem to see any humor in it either.

"First, I get crushed by your out-of-control vessel which causes me to loose that flagrant felon Negaduck, Then I find our city invaded by a rag tag gang og aliens with _serious_ wardrobe malfunctions!" He ranted, walking over to the Ratcatcher while he continued to cover up Gosalyns' eyes as they continued to hear her muffled protests from under the deep purple cloth. "You should count yourselves fortunate that I don't arrest you all on the spot for your blatant obstruction of justice!"

"We're not aliens," Cheo began before he suddenly looked a bit unsure of himself and looked to Toony. "...Are we?"

It wouldn't have been the term that Toony would have used, but if they saw things from Darkwings' perspective, they very may well have been aliens to the people of this world.

"No! We are _not!_ " Marie suddenly stated with a scowl upon her face. "We apologize for smashin' you with our boat, but we were in the middle of a-"

"So sorry, but I have no time for idle chit-chat!" Darkwing said dismissively. "Because of your careless interference, I now have to attempt to track down Negaduck before his trail goes cold!"

"But if you would just give us a minuet of your time to explain," Toony tried to say, but she was immediately shot down as well.

"A heroes work is never done, therefor, I don't have even a _second_ to waste!" Darkwing Duck said stiffly as he loaded up his daughter and friend into the sidecar of his motorcycle, putting on his helmet and then loudly revving the engine. "Good-day to you, er... _people!_ "

And with that, he sped off in a blur of smoke and screeching tires, leaving Toony and her friends just standing in the middle of the street. they fox eared woman was a little disappointed to see him go, but it seemed that she was the only one who felt that way.

"And I say good riddance!" Marie shouted after him irritably, obviously not impressed by how rude the masked vigilante had been.

But she paid him no more mind when she heard Toony suck in a cringing breath through her teeth and turned to see everyone else looking at their vessel. And as she paid closer attention, she felt the exact same way.

Parts of the sails had been loosened from their place, the once pristine white paint had been scuffed and chipped, and the hull looked even worse. They wouldn't be surprised if the wood had caved in or broke from the impact of their cash. But the thing that they were worried about most was the crack that went across the bottom deck because the could see that it had spread until the could see a slight gap at the top of the rail.

It didn't go any further, thank goodness, but they were in some serious need of repairs least they wanted the entire back end of their vessel to break off like a piece of crumbling bread.

"Well ain't that just _peachy_..." Maire stated sarcastically.

"Yep, there's no way we can go anywhere anytime soon with the Phoenix like this." Toony commented before she began climbing back up into their boat.

"What are you doing?" Maire asked.

"Just a sec," came her answer as her fox tailed charge disappeared into the cabin.

But Toony immediately stopped in her tracks as the state of their once beautiful living quarters met her eyes... _everything_ inside was trashed. The furniture they had moved were still laying out of their places, books had flown out from the bookshelf and littered over the floor along with broken dished and food that had gotten free from their places in the kitchen. She was pretty upset to see everything like this, and angry at the woman in black who had attacked them, but she forced herself not to dwell on it as she began picking through the mess.

It took a minuet to find it, but she finally spotted the trunk that Marie usually kept at the end of her bed. It was opened with it's contents spilled out, but Toony managed to find two extra sheets that she pulled out and brought outside with her.

"Here, we're gonna need these." Toony said as she threw the dark, olive green sheet down to Marie before she caught it with a confused expression.

But her unspoken question of why Toony grab them was answered as she watched Toony draped her cream colored sheet over head and wrapped herself up in it until it looked like she was wearing an Abaya dress. Though, it was clear she didn't know what she was doing as it looked pretty awkward on her.

"You look like a Halloween ghost!" Cheo said as he and Hiromi giggled at her, but their guide wasn't as amused.

"I ain't gonna wear this!" Marie said firmly.

"Well, you'll have to here." Toony told her. "You saw how Darkwing reacted when he saw me, imagine that, but only with a _city_ _full_ of people. I really wouldn't be surprised if we got arrested and thrown in jail or tested on by a bunch of scientists!"

Marie still wanted to argue, but she knew that Toony had more knowledge of this world and the characters here than she did so she begrudgingly began to wrap herself up in her sheet as well. Though it wasn't too long after she was finished covering up when sirens suddenly began to fill the air and Toony began to panic.

"Oh no, what're we gonna do about the Phoenix?!" she asked worriedly. "We can't just leave it here, what if they impound it? Or worse, turn it into wood chips?!"

"You seem to forget that I'm the ultimate life form." Shadow stated before he walked over to their vessel, bent down and actually lifted it up in the air. It groaned and creaked a bit from being moved, but thankfully, the Phoenix stayed in one piece as the hedgehog held it over his head while Toony, Cheo and Hiromi started at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

"Oh yeah." Toony said in awe. "You're pretty strong, aren't you.."

She remembered reading something somewhere that said Shadow was strong enough to lift a bus with very little effort, but she had always thought that it might have just been popular fan speculation...that is until _now_ as she had just witnessed it with her very own eyes.

"I'll find a place to put it and catch up with you later." Shadow said, adjusting himself before he quickly started to skate down the road.

"Remember to cloak it once you find a place!" Marie called after him before he disappeared from sight.

Once he was gone, Toony and Marie thought it was better to start moving before the police showed up. And after a few moments, they fond themselves surrounded by civilians who were just going about their day. Though instead of regular people, they were animals; pigs, chickens, dogs and many other different types who were walking, talking and dressed up in clothing.

Many of them gave the two women strange looks because of what they were wearing, especially towards Cheo and Hiromi from their seats on their shoulders. But as no one approached them, Toony allowed herself to feel excited at seeing all these characters and just _being_ here in St. Canard in person like this. But while her fluffballs seemed to share in her delight, Marie wasn't as impressed as she was uncomfortable with where their unexpected detour had taken them.

Even with having kids, she wasn't all that big into cartoons, _especially_ cartoons like this because seeing all these animals dressed and walking around like people was _really_ strange for her. Though even more than that, she was at a loss of what to do right now as their journey was pretty much over and done with because of the state their vessel was in.

"So what do we do now?" Marie suddenly asked. "No way of fixin' our boat, no friends in this world...do we really just walk around hidin' ourselves and twiddlin' our thumbs like this?"

"Nope, we're gonna find Darkwing Duck and convince him to help us repair the Phoenix!" Toony announced.

" _That_ over inflated doofus?!" Marie demanded, stopping to stare at Toony in shock. "He wouldn't know the stem from the stern!"

"Maybe you're right, but he's friends with someone who might be able to bring us to people who _can_ fix it up." the fox eared woman told her with an encouraging smile as she took her guide by the hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "I have an plan Marie, a _good_ one, so now it's your turn to trust me."

"Fine, but trying to track down one person in a place this big will be like tryin' to find a needle in a haystack."

"Oh no it won't, because I know just where to go...537 Avian way!" She said as she began to proudly march off down the road.

Marie only stood there, crossing her arms and waiting a few seconds before Toony came right back.

"...and we'll go there as _soon_ as I ask someone to point us in the right direction from here." She told her sheepishly as she tried to track someone down who could help them while the hazel eyed guide just gave a deep sigh and slowly trudged after her.

She could already tell that this was gonna be a _long_ day...

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 **Alrighty, I just want to say that I apologize if the 'Darkwing Duck' characters are a little cringey in this.**

 **Despite that it was one of my favorite shows, I've never even attempted to make a story with them prior to this simply because they seemed so flipping hard to keep in character...and I was _right_ XP. The most difficult part to write was right when the story switched to St. Canard, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to start that part. It's been a while since I've seen episodes, so I feel like I couldn't give them a full scene together because I didn't think I could keep them in their 'fight' characters all that well throughout it(banter, what kind of things they'd try to do to capture/get away from eachother, etc).  
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 **Hopefully what I decided on was at the very least good enough to just make the story move on, but I may changed it up sometime later on down the road once I have time re-watch some of the series and get a better idea.  
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 **Let me know what you think guys, and thanks so much for reading! :D:D:D**


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